Indonesia Opens Airspace for Malaysian Cloud Seeding to Tackle Haze

Indonesia has officially authorized Malaysian agencies to conduct cloud seeding operations within its airspace, a significant step in the joint effort to mitigate the pervasive haze affecting the region. Malaysia's Minister of Environment, Arthur Joseph Kurup, announced the permission on Monday, August 24.

The haze, primarily caused by widespread forest and land fires across several Indonesian provinces, has led to school closures in neighboring Malaysia and other affected areas. Indonesia has been intensifying its efforts to curb the spread of these fires.

Malaysia's national disaster management agency and meteorological department are currently coordinating schedules for cloud seeding operations, particularly in shared border areas with Indonesia. These operations will be conducted in coordination with the Indonesian military, according to Minister Kurup.

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Indonesia has given Malaysian agencies official permission to enter its airspace to conduct cloud seeding operations.

Furthermore, Malaysia has expressed its readiness to assist Indonesia in fire-fighting efforts. Any specific requests for assistance will be brought to the Malaysian Cabinet for deliberation and action. Both nations are planning to escalate their fire-fighting and prevention programs in anticipation of upcoming national holidays, including Malaysia Day celebrations on September 16.

The state of Sarawak, bordering Indonesia's Kalimantan province, has been the most severely impacted by the haze. On Monday, six districts in Sarawak recorded unhealthy air pollution index (API) readings. Additionally, unhealthy API levels were observed in eight other districts across four states on the Malaysian peninsula, highlighting the ongoing environmental challenge.

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Malaysia was also prepared to offer assistance to Indonesia in extinguishing fires, with any specific requests to be brought to Cabinet for further action.