BRIN Reveals Reasons For Not Optimal Weather Modification In Jakarta

JAKARTA - Climate and Atmospheric Researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Eddy Hermawan said the unstable cloud conditions and the short duration caused weather modification technology not to be optimal in overcoming air pollution in Jakarta.

"Not yet appropriate for the seeding, both in terms of clouds and wind speeds, is also not supportive," he said, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, August 30.

The Main Expert researcher revealed that the rain that has flushed Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi for the last few days was triggered by Tropical Cyclone Saola in the Philippines.

Tropical Cyclone Saola has a maximum wind speed of 85 knots or the equivalent of 155 kilometers per hour with a minimum air pressure of 955 billion.

"The storm attracts clouds and water vapor from various places quickly, one of which is from the southern waters of Java Island," he said.

The clouds and water vapors attracted by tropical cyclones pass through the Jabodetabek area. The low pressure camps in these areas also trigger rain to fall, he said.

Eddy also highlighted the government's efforts to spray water from high-rise buildings to wash the air so that pollution levels fell.

According to him, this method can be tried because there is no more instant solutions to overcome air pollution in Jakarta.

"If it rains waiting for Jakarta to rain, then we are waiting for the Asian monsoon to start entering or when the Indian Ocean Dipole (IDO) will begin to approach the neutral phase," said Edy.

The phenomenon of sea level water oscillation or Dipol Samudra Indies moving to a neutral position at the end of December, January, and February 2024.

Edy believes that El Nino's impact is still quite strong in Indonesia even until March, April, and May 2024.

"This is what we need to be aware of. Indeed, it is (El Nino 2023) that it does not support in terms of strength, but the duration is quite long, around 9-12 months," he concluded.