Indonesia tests dry ice against choking smoke
The government is testing a new method over South Sumatra while forest and peat fires have been causing cross-border smoke for months.
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Indonesia is to disperse dry ice from an aircraft over South Sumatra to combat smoke from forest and peat fires. It is a trial, not a proven firefighting technique; the government says it wants to await the results first.
An aircraft is due to disperse about 1.5 tonnes of dry ice on Thursday over the area around Palembang in South Sumatra. The plan was announced by Indonesia’s coordinating minister for security and is being carried out on the orders of President Prabowo Subianto, The Guardian reported, citing Indonesian government sources.
Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide. The government hopes the substance will stimulate precipitation or temporarily reduce the smoke. Indonesia has previously tried cloud seeding, water-bombing and deploying the military. Whether the new trial actually affects the fires or merely reduces the visibility of the smoke remains to be seen.
According to reports, almost 900,000 hectares in Indonesia have been affected by fires since January. The fires are being intensified by an exceptionally dry period and a strong El Niño. Clearing land by burning it for agriculture also remains a major cause of recurring fires, particularly in peatlands where fire can continue smouldering underground.
The smoke is not staying within Indonesia. According to The Guardian, air pollution has spread to Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. Timor-Leste announced that it would temporarily close schools and advise families to keep children indoors. Indonesia’s meteorological service is meanwhile publishing maps forecasting the spread of smoke particles.
The regional consequences make the trial politically sensitive. Neighbouring countries want swift measures against the smoke, while Indonesia is also being challenged over land use, plantation oversight and the prosecution of companies or individuals who start fires to clear land.
The dry-ice method can at most be a supplement to firefighting. The test says nothing yet about the cause of the fires, nor about whether the smoke is decreasing structurally. That requires better prevention, protection of peatlands and reliable enforcement.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Indonesia is testing dry ice as an additional measure against smoke.
- Forest and peat fires are causing smoke in Indonesia and neighbouring countries.
- The effectiveness of the trial has not yet been established.
Left
Arguments Priority should be given to protecting residents, peatlands and communities, not to technical emergency measures that leave the causes untouched. Companies and governments must be held liable for land use that causes fires.
Values Public health, nature conservation and climate justice.
Consequences More prevention and enforcement may be more expensive, but they can prevent recurring smoke crises.
Centre
Arguments A trial with dry ice can be responsible if it is measured independently and forms part of a broader package. At the same time, regional cooperation and transparent data are needed to determine which approach works.
Values Pragmatism, evidence and administrative cooperation.
Consequences A temporary technical measure may buy time, but it does not solve the structural causes of the fires.
Right
Arguments The government must act quickly to protect the economy, transport and property rights. Innovative techniques are welcome, but regulation must not excessively restrict agriculture and businesses without evidence.
Values Order, economic continuity and practicality.
Consequences Overly strict restrictions could affect jobs and food production; too little oversight increases the damage to neighbouring countries.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The description of the trial and the spread of the smoke is based on recent reporting and official smoke maps. The possible effect of dry ice is explicitly described as uncertain and experimental.
- confirmed Indonesia is dispersing dry ice from an aircraft over South Sumatra. — The Guardian describes the announced trial. source
- confirmed The smoke is spreading to several neighbouring countries. — The Guardian names Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines; BMKG publishes smoke-dispersion maps. source
- confirmed The effect of dry ice on the fires has not yet been proven. — The source describes the measure as a trial and reports that the results are still awaited. source
Editor's note
The dry-ice trial and the regional smoke have been confirmed. The effect of dry ice remains uncertain; the hectare estimate is a media report and not a measurement independently calculated by us.Sources
- Indonesia fights fire with dry ice as toxic haze spreads across region — The Guardian
- Potensi Terdampak Kabut Asap Karhutla — Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika
- Wildfires threaten Indonesia's orangutans as rescuers find injured animals — Associated Press