Indonesia tests dry ice drops over South Sumatra as toxic haze spreads across the region

Indonesia is testing a dry ice dispersal operation over South Sumatra as fires continue to send toxic haze across parts of Southeast Asia. The trial is being carried out by plane on Thursday after earlier efforts including cloud seeding, water bombing and the deployment of army personnel failed to contain the blazes. Officials say the move is being tried under direct presidential instruction.

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Coordinating security minister Dudung Abdurachman said the dry ice trial is intended to help tackle the haze in South Sumatra. He said the government will first observe the results and could consider using the method in other regions if it proves effective. According to the report, a Cessna aircraft is expected to disperse 1.5 tons of dry ice over the province.

The fires have already burned almost 900,000 hectares nationwide since January, making this the worst fire season in more than a decade. The fires have left millions of Indonesians exposed to thick smoke and heavy haze, with tens of thousands seeking treatment for respiratory illness linked to the pollution. The smoke has also crossed borders, affecting Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste.

In response, Timor-Leste said it would close schools nationwide for three days from Thursday and urged families to keep children indoors or use respiratory protection if they go outside. Singapore has introduced subsidies for haze-related medical treatment and has begun distributing N95 masks to eligible residents. The scale of the crisis has renewed scrutiny of Indonesia's long-running struggle with land-clearing fires.

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The report says the problem is worsened by this year's strong El Niño conditions and by the continued use of slash-and-burn methods to clear land for crops such as palm oil. That combination has made the haze a regional issue rather than a domestic one, with air quality falling sharply in neighbouring capitals and public health systems facing added pressure. The situation also carries economic consequences, including school closures and flight disruptions.

The government's latest trial comes after criticism of its response intensified, including a class action lawsuit filed last week accusing it of gross negligence. The fires and haze have become a recurring political and environmental challenge in Indonesia, where dry seasons can quickly turn peat and forest areas into large-scale burn zones. South Sumatra has been one of the areas most affected, making it the focus of the new experiment.

The use of dry ice is unusual, but officials are presenting it as a possible addition to the existing firefighting toolkit rather than a replacement. What remains unclear is whether the dry ice drops will have any measurable effect on the fires or the haze, and whether the method could be expanded beyond South Sumatra. It is also not yet clear how quickly air quality may improve in the countries already affected.

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