{
  "id": 3376143,
  "title": "Malaysia cloud-seeding assist tests Indonesia’s limits as haze crosses borders",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/malaysia-cloud-seeding-assist-tests-indonesias-limits-as-haze-crosses",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-25T23:22:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Jakarta Post",
    "slug": "the-jakarta-post",
    "url": "https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/08/26/malaysia-cloud-seeding-assist-tests-indonesias-limits-as-haze-crosses-borders.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Malaysia has extended assistance to Indonesia in combating the recent surge of transboundary haze caused by forest and land fires. The offer includes conducting cloud-seeding operations in Indonesian airspace to help mitigate the worsening conditions. This proposal was discussed during a phone conversation between Malaysian Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup and his Indonesian counterpart, Jumhur Hidayat. Malaysia is prepared to support Indonesia in extinguishing the fires and will bring any specific requests from Jakarta before the Malaysian cabinet for further consideration. The cloud-seeding operations will be coordinated with the Indonesian Military (TNI) and are currently being planned by Malaysia's disaster management agency and meteorological department. The haze, fueled by prolonged dry season and an intensifying El Niño, has affected thousands of hotspots in Kalimantan and Sumatra, with Malaysia's Sarawak state being the most severely impacted. Schools in the region have been closed due to unhealthy air quality, and authorities have urged residents to limit outdoor activities. Experts warn that the situation may worsen as the El Niño phenomenon and the southwest monsoon increase the risk of severe forest fires throughout October, while the rains that could help extinguish the fires are unlikely before November.",
  "summary": "Malaysia has offered to assist Indonesia in combating forest and land fires that have fueled the latest wave of transboundary haze, including by conducting cloud-seeding operations in Indonesian airspace, as worsening conditions put pressure on Jakarta to step up its response.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Malaysia, Indonesia to ramp up anti-haze measures ahead of National Day",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/malaysia-indonesia-to-ramp-up-anti-haze-measures-ahead-of-national-day",
        "published": "2026-08-24T08:29:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Indonesia to open airspace for cloud seeding to tackle haze, Malaysia says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/indonesia-to-open-airspace-for-cloud-seeding-to-tackle-haze-malaysia",
        "published": "2026-08-24T08:49:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Malaysia says Indonesia to open airspace for cloud seeding to tackle haze",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/malaysia-says-indonesia-to-open-airspace-for-cloud-seeding-to-tackle",
        "published": "2026-08-24T09:42:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Indonesia allows Malaysian aircraft to conduct cloud seeding along border",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/indonesia-allows-malaysian-aircraft-to-conduct-cloud-seeding-along",
        "published": "2026-08-24T09:55:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Jakarta Post",
        "title": "Indonesia to open airspace for cloud seeding to tackle haze, Malaysia says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/indonesia-to-open-airspace-for-cloud-seeding-to-tackle-haze-malaysia",
        "published": "2026-08-25T01:12:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian",
        "title": "‘Like smoking a cigarette’: Indonesia chokes on haze as blazes intensify amid super ‘El Niño’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/like-smoking-a-cigarette-indonesia-chokes-on-haze-as-blazes-intensify",
        "published": "2026-08-25T04:17:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Haze persists across Malaysia as 17 stations record unhealthy air quality",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/haze-persists-across-malaysia-as-17-stations-record-unhealthy-air",
        "published": "2026-08-26T00:50:46.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}