JAKARTA, October 17, 2026 — Indonesia is deploying dry ice over South Sumatra in an effort to disperse haze from wildfires that have disrupted flights and forced school closures across the region.
Indonesia Tests Dry Ice to Clear Hazy Skies
Aircraft will scatter pellets of dry ice over South Sumatra province on Thursday, reviving a weather-modification technique first used in the 1940s. The move comes as thick haze from peat and forest fires continues to blanket parts of Indonesia, affecting visibility and air quality. Officials hope the intervention will help break up the haze layer and reduce its impact on communities.
Haze Spreads, Prompting School Closures in East Timor
The haze has traveled beyond Indonesia’s borders, prompting several headlines to highlight the cross-border nature of the pollution. Reports describe skies turning orange and toxic haze spreading across Southeast Asia, affecting daily life for families across the region. In East Timor, deteriorating air quality has led to school closures as authorities prioritize children’s health.
Singapore Faces ‘Very Bad’ Air Quality, Considers Legal Action
Singapore’s air quality has deteriorated to a ‘very bad’ level due to the haze, with the Pollutant Standards Index ranging from 145 to 221 as of 6 a.m., and some areas exceeding 201. Under the Transboundary Smoke Pollution Act enacted in 2014, companies responsible for causing or assisting fires can be fined if the PSI remains unhealthy for at least 24 hours. The government is reviewing data and considering legal action, with potential fines of up to 100,000 Singapore dollars per day, capped at 2 million Singapore dollars in total.
Regional Impact Grows as Fires Persist Since August
The 2026 Southeast Asian haze crisis has affected Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste, Singapore, and Vietnam since 1 August. Wildfires in Papua New Guinea have also contributed to haze reaching eastern Indonesian islands, including Lesser Sunda, Maluku, Papua, and Sulawesi. The prolonged dry season has intensified the spread of smoke, raising concerns about health and economic effects on communities throughout the region.
Technique Revived From Mid‑20th Century Weather Modification
The dry‑ice dispersal method being tested over South Sumatra was first experimented with in the 1940s as part of early weather‑modification research. Solid carbon dioxide pellets, when released from aircraft, sublimate and create localized cooling that can induce convection and help break up stable haze layers. Indonesia’s current deployment marks the first operational use of this approach in the region since those initial trials.
Officials note that the technique does not add chemicals to the atmosphere; it relies solely on the physical properties of dry ice to alter temperature gradients and promote vertical mixing. This distinguishes it from cloud‑seeding efforts that introduce substances such as silver iodide. The goal is to disrupt the temperature inversion that traps smoke near the surface, thereby improving visibility and air quality.
By reviving a method developed decades ago, Indonesian authorities are exploring low‑cost, rapidly deployable options to complement longer‑term fire prevention and peatland restoration strategies. The outcome of the South Sumatra trial will inform whether the technique can be scaled to other provinces affected by the ongoing haze.
East Timor’s Air Quality Index Reaches Hazardous Levels
The spike in particulate matter coincides with the peak of the regional haze episode, which has seen smoke from Indonesian wildfires drift across the Timor Sea.
Public health officials in Dili have issued advisories urging vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly, to limit outdoor exposure and use protective masks when necessary. The deteriorating conditions have prompted the Ministry of Education to suspend in-person classes in affected areas, shifting to remote learning where infrastructure allows.
Haze-related respiratory complaints have increased by 40% in clinics across the country compared to pre-haze baselines, with asthma and bronchitis cases showing the most significant rise. Authorities continue to coordinate with regional meteorological agencies to track smoke dispersion patterns and assess the duration of elevated pollution levels.
Sources
- Indonesia Wildfires Spread Toxic Haze, Forcing East Timor School Closures: how 5 outlets framed it | NewsCord
- Indonesia to try dousing skies with dry ice in radical attempt to tackle haze
- The Singaporean government is considering legal action against companies responsible for the fires a.. – MK
Photo: National Park Service / rawpixel (CC CC0 1.0)
