Preventing Hydrometeorological Disasters, BNPB Holds TMC Operations

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JAKARTA The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) held a weather modification technology (TMC) operation as a measure to anticipate hydrometeorological disasters such as floods and landslides in early 2024.

With the TMC operation, it is hoped that it will rain earlier before reaching a certain location or area. This operation was carried out by BNPB together with across Ministries/Institutions (K/L) starting from BMKG, BRIN, Ministry of Transportation, TNI, Polri and other sectors.

According to the Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, based on a coordination meeting on December 21, 2023, BMKG provided information that there is a potential for moderate to very high rainfall in Java and other regions in Indonesia.

On that basis, BNPB through the Deputy for Emergency Management of BNPB formed a team and immediately implemented TMC. The direction of the Head of BNPB is contained through the Direct Instruction Letter of IL Ka. BNPB Number: B-646/KA BNPB/PD.0104/12/2023 on December 31, 2023," he said in a written statement, Sunday, January 7.

He explained that the first TMC operation was carried out on Wednesday (3/1), with the support of the Cessna 208 Caravan BNPB aircraft with the hull number PK-SNS operated by PT. Smart Cakrawala Aviation. The TMC operation on the first day was carried out one-time sortie for 2 hours 18 minutes by sprinkling Sodium Clorida (NaCl) or kitchen salt above the sky of the western part of Bandung Regency and northern Sukabumi Regency. This seeding was carried out at an altitude of 11,000 feet by spending 1 tonne of the same material as well as NaCl.

Then on Thursday (4/1), the TMC operation was carried out twice by a sortie. The first sortie combed the Sunda Strait, Java Sea to the top of the sky of the Thousand Islands. Furthermore, the second sortie targeted the Sunda Strait, southwest to north Banten and the southern region of Pandeglang Regency. The two sorties in the second day of TMC operation were both carried out above an altitude of 11,000 feet by sprinkling 1 ton of the Semai NaCl material each.

Observation of the GSMaP satellite on January 4, 2024, shows light to very heavy rain in the western part of Java, with the highest rainfall reaching 150 millimeters before entering northern Serang Regency.

Next on Friday (5/1), the TMC operation was carried out twice and all targeted to the Java Sea area with a total of 1 ton of material each with a score and dropped from an altitude of between 10,000-11,000 feet.

Furthermore, Saturday (6/1) the TMC operation was carried out three times the sortie by seeding NaCl with 1 ton each. In the first sortie, it was carried out in the Sunda Strait region at an altitude of between 9,000 and 11,000 feet.

The second sortie was carried out in the eastern area of Jakarta Bay and Java Sea in the northeast at an altitude of 11,000 feet. The third sortie was carried out in the southern waters of western Java Island with an altitude of 10,000 to 11,000 feet.

"This TMC operation is a form of joint effort to minimize the impact of disaster risk that can be triggered by the weather. It does not mean that we are the ones who rain, but this is an effort to reduce the intensity of rain which is predicted to fall in one place by lowering it elsewhere," concluded Abdul Muhari.