Weather Modification, DKI Jakarta BPBD Strategy To Face Extreme Weather

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has again held a Weather Modification Operation (OMC) as a mitigation measure to deal with potential hydrometeorological disasters due to extreme weather.

"This step was taken to respond to the potential for extreme weather that is expected to occur within a certain period of time," said Spokesperson for OMC 2025 as well as Head of the DKI Jakarta Provincial BPBD Logistics and Equipment Sub-group, Michael Sitanggang, in a statement in Jakarta, Saturday.

Michael explained that on the first day of OMC implementation, Friday, February 14, 2025, two pieces of flight had been carried out using 1,600 kilograms (kg) of salt (NaCl) as a material for semai.

The seeding mission in the first sort is focused on the area around the Sunda Strait and northwest of Jakarta. "Meanwhile, for the second sort, the seeding target is in the southwest of Jakarta," he explained, as quoted by ANTARA.

This operation is the result of collaboration with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) National Army, and PT Rekayasa Atmosphere Indonesia (RAI).

BMKG Deputy for Weather Modification, Fikri Nur Muhammad, revealed that on the second basis of February 2025, cloud growth in the western part of Java, including DKI Jakarta, reached more than 70 percent.

In general, the potential for rain cloud growth in Banten, Jakarta and West Java is quite high. "The humidity in each atmosphere layer is also quite high, reaching 90 percent," he said.

Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta, Teguh Setyabudi, appreciated the synergy in the implementation of OMC 2025 which succeeded in suppressing the intensity of rain in the Jakarta area.

Based on BMKG data, this operation succeeded in reducing rainfall by 56-64 percent. The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government remains committed to continuing to minimize disaster risk for the community.

"Therefore, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government will continue to coordinate with various parties to optimize mitigation measures so that people are protected from the impact of hydrometeorological disasters in the future," said Teguh in Jakarta, Monday (10/2).