Indonesia Grants Malaysia Airspace Access for Cloud Seeding to Fight Haze
Indonesia has allowed Malaysian agencies to enter its airspace for cloud seeding, as both nations step up efforts against transboundary haze.
Malaysia's environment minister announced on Monday that Indonesia has formally authorised Malaysian agencies to enter its airspace for cloud seeding operations, marking a coordinated regional response to the severe haze affecting Southeast Asia.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup said Malaysia's national disaster management agency and meteorological department are now preparing schedules for cloud seeding at shared border locations. These operations will be coordinated with the Indonesian military.
The haze, caused by forest and land fires across several Indonesian provinces, has already forced dozens of school closures this month, including in parts of Malaysia. The situation is most acute in Sarawak state on Borneo island, which borders Indonesia's Kalimantan province.
On Monday, six districts in Sarawak recorded unhealthy air pollution index (API) readings. Eight additional districts across four states on the Malaysian peninsula also reported unhealthy air quality levels, according to environment department data.
Kurup said Malaysia is also ready to assist Indonesia in extinguishing fires, with any specific requests to be presented to the cabinet for approval. Both countries plan to escalate their firefighting and prevention programmes ahead of upcoming national holidays, including Malaysia Day celebrations in Sarawak on September 16.