Indonesia's BNPB launches week-long weather-modification operation in Jambi to curb forest fires

On June 5‑12 2026, Indonesia's National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) carried out a one‑week Operation Weather Modification (OMC) in Jambi province, aiming to wet peatlands and reduce the risk of forest and land fires (karhutla) ahead of the peak dry season.

The operation, coordinated with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the Air Force, used cloud‑seeding aircraft to disperse salt over high‑risk districts—Tanjung Jabung Barat, Tanjung Jabung Timur and Muaro Jambi—producing localized rain in several spots. Jambi is one of six priority provinces receiving central‑government technical support.

BMKG warned that a weak to moderate El Niño could make the 2026 dry season drier than normal, with hotspots already at 1,601 nationwide. Officials stressed compliance with Presidential Instruction No. 3/2020 on fire mitigation and called on local governments, communities and forest‑related businesses to cooperate.