BNPB Chief Claims Combination of OMC with Dry Ice Effectively Induces Rain in Karhutla Areas

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Lieutenant General Kristomei Sianturi, claims that weather modification operations (OMC) combined with the use of dry ice are quite effective in inducing rain in areas affected by forest and land fires (karhutla).

“We have received instructions from the President that the use of dry ice is effective in helping to induce rain, so we will implement it in all areas currently experiencing forest fires,” Kristomei stated at the Presidential Complex in Jakarta on Thursday (22/10/2026).

Kristomei asserted that of the four provinces where OMC was conducted using dry ice, three successfully experienced rainfall.

“This means that in our weather modification operations conducted in four provinces, three of them successfully received rain,” he said.

The three provinces that achieved this are West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Sumatra.

Due to its effectiveness, OMC using dry ice will also be extended to other regions.

“In places like West Kalimantan, there are thirteen districts that can potentially receive rain, then in Central Kalimantan and South Sumatra as well. It's quite effective, so we will continue to target regions that are currently still covered by clouds and can induce rain to fall,” he added.

In addition to the six priority provinces for karhutla, he mentioned that there are three other provinces slated for OMC with dry ice dispersal.

“There are three additional provinces, namely South Papua, Central Sulawesi, and East Kalimantan. There are still hotspots there, which we are continuously working to address,” he said.

He explained that dispersing dry ice works to stimulate rain clouds to facilitate OMC with salt (NaCl).

“Dry ice technology allows smoke that cannot rise to be opened, letting sunlight in to stimulate evaporation precipitation, which helps form rain clouds. This will then be followed by OMC using NaCl to ensure the rain can fall,” he explained.