Full Breakdown
Indonesia Tests Dry-Ice Dispersal as Haze Crisis Peaks
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The Dry-Ice Trial and Its Immediate Goal
On Thursday, an aircraft will release 1.5 tons of solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) over Palembang and a neighboring district in South Sumatra. If effective, authorities will expand the method to other heavily affected areas such as Central Kalimantan.
Background & Context
Indonesia is facing its most severe wildfire season in a decade, driven by a strong El Niño that has deepened drought across Sumatra, Borneo and Papua. Fires have burned nearly 900,000 ha of forest and peatland since January, according to the independent monitoring platform Nusantara Atlas. The haze has turned skies over Kalimantan and Sumatra amber, pushed air-quality indices into the “very unhealthy” range in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and forced school closures in Malaysia, Singapore, East Timor and the Philippines.
Data & Statistics
- Hotspots: More than one million hotspots recorded this year; satellite monitoring counted 799 high-confidence hotspots nationwide on the evening of Oct 15.
- Health impact: Health-Ministry data show 277,075 respiratory-illness cases in seven provinces as of Oct 12, more than double the 113,336 reported on Sep 9.
- Burned area: Official figures last updated in July listed 202,000 ha burned; environmental group Auriga estimates 637,000 ha damaged from Jan-Aug, while Nusantara Atlas puts the total near 900,000 ha.
- Regional air quality: Singapore’s PM2.5 reading reached 284 µg/m³ on Oct 14, entering the “very high” band; Kuala Lumpur ranked second globally that day.
Official Statements & Responses
President Prabowo Subianto ordered a mobilisation of additional resources, declaring the haze “a top priority” that must be resolved immediately. Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong warned that “where warranted, we will take action under Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, and also explore joint action with other countries,” adding that “we cannot control the weather or the winds, nor can we directly control what happens beyond our borders.”
On-the-Ground Reports
Four people died and two suffered severe burns while fighting a wildfire in East Java’s Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park on Oct 15. The forestry ministry emphasized personnel safety as a primary concern.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Burned-area estimates vary: official data (202 ha) versus Auriga’s 637 ha estimate and Nusantara Atlas’s near-900 ha figure.
- Hotspot counts differ: the ministry reported 615 hotspots in six “priority provinces,” while independent satellite data recorded 799 nationwide on the same night.
- Legal actions: Singapore’s Prime Minister signaled potential lawsuits under the 2014 Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, but experts note prosecutions require cooperation from Indonesian authorities and precise hotspot mapping—processes that remain incomplete.
Verbatim Quotes
What’s Next
Indonesia’s weather-modification agency will evaluate the dry-ice trial’s results before scaling the technique. Regional foreign-ministerial talks on transboundary haze are slated for the coming month, during which Indonesia may decide whether to formally accept assistance offers from Malaysia, Singapore and other neighbours. The government has also signalled a review of the law permitting households to clear up to two hectares of land by burning, a measure aimed at reducing future fire ignition.