--- title: "Indonesia turns to cloud seeding as forest fires burn 285,000 hectares" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/climate/indonesia-turns-to-cloud-seeding-as-forest-fires-burn-285000-hectares" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/indonesia-turns-to-cloud-seeding-as-forest-fires-burn-285000-hectares" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/climate/indonesia-turns-to-cloud-seeding-as-forest-fires-burn-285000-hectares.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/indonesia-turns-to-cloud-seeding-as-forest-fires-burn-285000-hectares" category: "Climate" area: "Asia-Pacific" published: "2026-08-18T06:46:06.682Z" source_reported: "2026-08-18T05:49:05.000Z" updated: "2026-08-18T06:46:06.682Z" trust_score: 86 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 25 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-18T07:45:45.373Z" --- # Indonesia turns to cloud seeding as forest fires burn 285,000 hectares *The government says the technique can help fight fires worsened by El Niño, but experts question its effectiveness in dry conditions.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 86 of 100, higher is better. Trust 86: multiple named sources, government figures, independent analysis, and two independent outlets corroborate key data. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic 95: provides context, quotes many stakeholders, clear facts, specific figures, and outlines uncertainties. - Hype 25 of 100, lower is better. Hype 25: headline mildly catchy but article remains measured without sensational exaggeration. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Indonesia’s government reports 100,000 hectares burned in the first half of 2026, while independent analysis puts the figure at over 285,000 hectares through July. - The country has carried out 252 cloud-seeding operations since 2021, up from 85 in the previous decade, to induce rain and suppress fires. - Experts and activists argue the method is ineffective in dry conditions and fails to address root causes like peatland destruction and illegal land clearing. - Neighbouring Malaysia has already experienced haze from the fires, leading to school closures in parts of Borneo. Indonesia is relying on cloud seeding to combat one of its worst forest fire seasons in years, as the El Niño climate phenomenon intensifies drought conditions. The government says over 100,000 hectares burned in the first six months of 2026. Independent analysis by Nusantara Atlas, a deforestation monitoring site, estimates the burned area at more than 285,000 hectares through July, an area larger than four times the size of Jakarta. Cloud seeding involves dispersing silver iodide, salts or other particles into clouds to encourage rainfall. Indonesia has conducted 252 such operations between 2021 and August 2026, a threefold increase from the previous decade. The technique is rarely used globally to fight wildfires, but Indonesia has expanded its use after devastating fires in 2015, which burned millions of hectares and created a regional haze crisis. The government has deployed nearly 50,000 firefighters and used helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft for cloud-seeding operations. Security Minister Djamari Chaniago said authorities are monitoring weather changes closely to identify rain clouds. However, experts question the method’s effectiveness during the dry season, when wildfires peak and cloud cover is scarce. I Putu Santikayasa, a hydroclimatology lecturer at IPB University, said the lack of clouds limits the technique’s impact. Environmental activists argue that cloud seeding is a short-term solution that ignores deeper issues. Uli Arta Siagian, campaign coordinator for the environmental group WALHI, said peatlands, which store large amounts of carbon when wet but become highly flammable when dry, should be protected from development. The government has banned large-scale plantations from using fire to clear land, but smallholders are exempt, and illegal burning remains common. ## Disagreement over the scale of burned land The Indonesian government says 100,000 hectares burned in the first half of 2026, as reported by Channel News Asia and France24. Nusantara Atlas, an independent deforestation monitoring site, puts the figure at over 285,000 hectares through July, a number carried by France24 and Channel News Asia. No outlet disputes the higher figure, but the government’s lower estimate appears in fewer reports. ## What the coverage left out No left-rated outlet ran this story. None of the right-rated digests mention the independent estimate of 285,000 hectares burned, the cost of cloud-seeding operations, or the environmental concerns raised by activists about peatland destruction and illegal land clearing. The centre-rated reports include these details. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 43% (3) - Right: 57% (4) 1 of 8 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-18T07:45:45.373Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-18T08:45:31.877Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The three centre-rated digests and the full report from Channel News Asia led on Indonesia’s increased use of cloud seeding to fight fires. All three digests mention the technique’s role in mitigating the fire season, and two note scepticism about its effectiveness. The Channel News Asia report quotes meteorologist Safillah Anggie Wahyuni, who said, "Weather modification does not create clouds: we optimise clouds that have the potential to produce rains." It also includes criticism from experts and activists, including the hydroclimatology lecturer who questioned the method’s usefulness in dry conditions. - The full report details the government’s claim of 100,000 hectares burned, the independent estimate of 285,000 hectares, and the increase in cloud-seeding operations. It also describes the regional haze affecting Malaysia and the government’s broader fire-fighting efforts, including peatland rewetting and satellite monitoring. The report quotes an activist saying the state should protect vulnerable ecosystems by not issuing permits in fire-prone areas. ### Right - The three right-rated digests focus on Indonesia’s use of cloud seeding as a response to the fire crisis. Le Figaro’s digest describes it as a "low-used method" to fight El Niño-driven fires. Free Malaysia Today and The Straits Times both highlight the increase in cloud-seeding operations, with The Straits Times noting the 252 operations conducted since 2021. None of the digests mention the independent estimate of 285,000 hectares burned, the scepticism of experts, or the broader environmental concerns raised by activists. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 3 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Le Figaro](https://lefigaro.fr/sciences/nous-optimisons-les-nuages-avec-une-methode-peu-utilisee-l-indonesie-veut-creer-de-la-pluie-pour-combattre-le-phenomene-el-nino-20260818) — "We Optimize Clouds": Indonesia Wants to Create Rain to Fight the El Niño Phenomenon with a Low-Used Method - [Bangkok Post](https://bangkokpost.com/world/3303729/make-it-rain-indonesia-chases-clouds-to-stem-el-nino-fires) — Make it rain: Indonesia chases clouds to stem El Nino fires - [Sud Ouest](https://sudouest.fr/faits-divers/incendies/incendie-en-indonesie-faire-pleuvoir-artificiellement-les-nuages-pour-lutter-contre-les-feux-30292589.php) — Fire in Indonesia: Artificially Rain Clouds to Fight Fires - [Channel News Asia](https://channelnewsasia.com/sustainability/indonesia-forest-fires-el-nino-cloud-seeding-6325196) — Make it rain: Indonesia chases clouds to stem El Nino fires - [Free Malaysia Today News](https://freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/08/18/indonesia-chases-clouds-to-stem-el-nino-fires) — Indonesia chases clouds to stem El Nino fires - [The Straits Times](https://straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/make-it-rain-indonesia-chases-clouds-to-stem-el-nino-fires) — Make it rain: Indonesia chases clouds to stem El Nino fires - [France24](https://france24.com/en/live-news/20260818-make-it-rain-indonesia-chases-clouds-to-stem-el-nino-fires) — Make it rain: Indonesia chases clouds to stem El Nino fires - [rtl.lu](https://today.rtl.lu/news/world/make-it-rain-indonesia-chases-clouds-to-stem-el-nino-fires-970303821) — Make it rain: Indonesia chases clouds to stem El Nino fires ## Questions **How much land has burned in Indonesia’s 2026 fire season?** The Indonesian government says 100,000 hectares burned in the first half of 2026. Independent analysis by Nusantara Atlas estimates over 285,000 hectares burned through July, an area more than four times the size of Jakarta. The higher figure is widely reported but not mentioned in right-rated digests. **What is cloud seeding, and how is Indonesia using it?** Cloud seeding involves dispersing particles like silver iodide into clouds to induce rainfall. Indonesia has conducted 252 cloud-seeding operations since 2021 to fight fires, up from 85 in the previous decade. The government says it helps suppress fires, but experts question its effectiveness in dry conditions. **Why do experts criticise Indonesia’s use of cloud seeding?** Experts say cloud seeding is less effective during the dry season when wildfires peak, as there are fewer clouds to seed. Activists argue it ignores deeper causes like peatland destruction and illegal land clearing, which make fires worse. Research on its long-term impact is limited. **How are Indonesia’s fires affecting neighbouring countries?** Haze from the fires has increased air pollution in Malaysia, particularly in the Borneo region, leading to school closures. Indonesia’s fires regularly create regional haze, a problem worsened by El Niño-driven drought conditions. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/climate/indonesia-turns-to-cloud-seeding-as-forest-fires-burn-285000-hectares. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Indonesia turns to cloud seeding as forest fires burn 285,000 hectares", https://mediabias.news/climate/indonesia-turns-to-cloud-seeding-as-forest-fires-burn-285000-hectares