Indonesia Implements Cloud Planting Techniques to Mitigate Rain Impact on New Capital Construction

• 24 July 2024
• Construction Focus
• 2230 Views

Indonesia is employing climate modification techniques known as cloud seeding to reduce heavy rains that have impeded the construction of its future capital, Nusantara. The new city, set to open on 17 August 2024, aims to alleviate issues faced by the current capital, including heavy traffic congestion and potential flooding, according to Business Times on 21 June 2024.

Tri Handoko Seto, a senior official at the Indonesian Meteorological and Geological Agency (BMKG), confirmed that daily rainfall has significantly delayed the construction process, prompting contractors to request climate modification interventions. “They have submitted a request to the authorities to carry out climate change operations to avoid the daily rains that are being diverted or relocated from developing areas,” Seto stated. “At least some of it has been reduced.”

The cloud seeding technique, previously used to form rain in drought-prone areas or enhance local water supplies, involves dispersing small particles or chemicals into clouds to induce precipitation. However, scientists caution that while cloud seeding can influence local weather patterns, it does not create or drastically alter climate conditions, nor can it prevent flash floods on the scale observed in Germany and the United States.

• Technology and Engineering
• Energy and Environment