Indonesia Tests Dry Ice to Disperse Toxic Haze as Wildfires Spread Across Southeast Asia
Authorities plan to drop solid carbon dioxide over South Sumatra after fires burned 900,000 hectares and polluted regional air.
At a glance
- Indonesia is conducting a trial dropping 1.5 tons of dry ice over Palembang to clear toxic smoke caused by extensive wildfires.
- Nearly 900,000 hectares have burned since January during the country's worst fire season in more than a decade.
- The drifting haze has triggered school closures in Timor-Leste and emergency health measures in Singapore.
The Indonesian government is trialling an unconventional strategy to combat hazardous smoke by dropping dry ice over the province of South Sumatra, officials announced on Thursday.
Under direct orders from President Prabowo Subianto, a Cessna aircraft is scheduled to release 1.5 tons of dry ice over the city of Palembang. Coordinating Security Minister Dudung Abdurachman stated that authorities will evaluate the results of the trial to determine whether to expand the method to other fire-affected regions. The initiative follows previous efforts including cloud seeding, water bombing, and deploying military personnel.
Indonesia is facing its most destructive fire season in more than a decade, driven by an intense El Niño weather pattern and agricultural slash-and-burn techniques used to clear land for palm oil and other crops. Nearly 900,000 hectares have burned across the country since January. Many blazes are concentrated in deep peatlands, where fires can smoulder underground for weeks and resist conventional extinguishing methods.
Cross-Border Smog Crisis
The resulting smoke has triggered a public health crisis domestically and provoked frustration from neighbouring countries. Tens of thousands of people in Indonesia have sought medical care for respiratory issues, and the government faces a class-action lawsuit alleging gross negligence. In Central Kalimantan, the air pollution index reached 1,200 on Wednesday, four times the threshold considered hazardous.
Plummeting air quality has disrupted daily life across Southeast Asia. Singapore and Kuala Lumpur recently ranked among the most polluted cities globally. In response, Singapore re-introduced subsidies for haze-related healthcare and began distributing N95 masks. Timor-Leste ordered a nationwide three-day school closure from Thursday, while the smoke has also drifted across Malaysia and into parts of the Philippines.
Limitations of Dry Ice
Although dry ice dispersal dates back to the 1940s to encourage cloud formation, specialists caution that its impact on wildfire smoke will be short-lived. Rick McRae, an adjunct professor with the University of New South Wales bushfire research group, noted that moving weather patterns will continuously carry fresh smoke into treated areas.
While the trial may provide temporary local visibility improvements, McRae emphasized that it cannot serve as a lasting solution to an interconnected regional environmental threat.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- Why is Indonesia dropping dry ice from aircraft?
- The government is testing whether dispersing 1.5 tons of dry ice can break up thick wildfire haze and temporarily improve visibility and air quality.
- Which countries are affected by Indonesia's fire haze?
- The smoke has spread across national borders into Singapore, Malaysia, Timor-Leste, and the Philippines, leading to school closures and health alerts.
- What is causing the severe wildfire season in Indonesia?
- The fires have been intensified by a powerful El Niño weather event alongside ongoing slash-and-burn practices used to clear land for crops like palm oil.
