{
  "id": 1866446,
  "title": "Make it rain: Indonesia chases clouds to stem El Nino fires",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/make-it-rain-indonesia-chases-clouds-to-stem-el-nino-fires",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-19T04:38:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2026/08/1514339/make-it-rain-indonesia-chases-clouds-stem-el-nino-fires"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Indonesia is battling a wildfire season that experts say may be one of the worst in recent years, driven by a strong El Nino phenomenon. Over 100,000 hectares of land have already burned in the first half of the year, according to the government, with independent analysis placing the figure at over 285,000 hectares through July. To combat the fires, Indonesia is increasingly turning to cloud seeding, a technique that involves dispersing particles into clouds to trigger precipitation. The government has carried out 252 cloud-seeding operations between 2021 and August, up from just 85 in the preceding decade, and has nearly 50,000 firefighters currently deployed to tackle the blazes. However, some experts question the effectiveness of cloud seeding during the dry season, when wildfires are most likely to occur.",
  "summary": "INDONESIA’S Borneo, home to pristine rainforest and protected species, is burning. Meteorologist Safillah Anggie Wahyuni hopes a solution lies in the clouds.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Indonesia chases clouds to stem El Nino fires",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/indonesia-chases-clouds-to-stem-el-nino-fires",
        "published": "2026-08-18T03:41:57.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Make it rain: Indonesia chases clouds to stem El Nino fires",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/make-it-rain-indonesia-chases-clouds-to-stem-el-nino-fires",
        "published": "2026-08-18T04:55:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Jakarta Post",
        "title": "Make it rain: Indonesia chases clouds to stem El Nino fires",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/make-it-rain-indonesia-chases-clouds-to-stem-el-nino-fires-1644089",
        "published": "2026-08-18T05:23:24.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Phys.org",
        "title": "Make it rain: Indonesia chases clouds to stem El Niño fires",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/make-it-rain-indonesia-chases-clouds-to-stem-el-nino-fires-1675624",
        "published": "2026-08-18T08:20:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Antara News Indonesia",
        "title": "Indonesia boosts fire response as El Nino raises risks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/indonesia-boosts-fire-response-as-el-nino-raises-risks",
        "published": "2026-08-19T04:49:19.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}