Indonesia Expands Cloud-Seeding as Borneo Fires Rage

Indonesia has dramatically ramped up cloud seeding to combat wildfires in Borneo amid a severe El Niño-driven drought, with the government reporting hundreds of missions since 2021 and aiming to induce rainfall to dampen peatlands and fires. The effort comes alongside growing regional concerns about worsening transboundary haze and air quality affecting Malaysia and other neighbors as El Niño intensifies and rainfall declines. Officials stress that cloud seeding optimizes existing clouds rather than creating rain, and its effectiveness hinges on favorable weather conditions. The firefighting response combines aerial cloud-seeding missions with ground efforts, and authorities have cited large areas burned this year—over 100,000 hectares in the first half and more than 285,000 hectares by July according to independent analysis. Critics and scientists point to limitations and environmental concerns surrounding weather modification, while also highlighting prevention, enforcement, and peatland restoration as essential components of the response. The situation underscores regional vulnerability to El Niño impacts and the ongoing debate over geoengineering as a climate-adaptation tool.