Indonesia wildfire rain prayer draws 3,000 people in haze-hit Palembang
About 3,000 residents joined a prayer for rain in Palembang as fires and peatland blazes filled parts of Indonesia with smoke.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
About 3,000 people joined an Indonesia wildfire rain prayer in Palembang on Aug. 25 as smoke from forest and peatland fires cut visibility across South Sumatra’s capital. The gathering reflected the toll of a prolonged dry spell and fires that have spread haze across parts of Indonesia and into neighboring countries, according to an Associated Press report.
South Sumatra authorities organized the event at the governor’s office, where residents performed salat istisqa, a special Islamic prayer asking for rain. The AP reported that smoke obscured roads, buildings and public facilities in Palembang, prompting drivers to turn on headlights during the day.
Why did Indonesians hold a rain prayer during wildfires?
The prayer was held as dry conditions raised the danger of fires in forests and peatland. Salat istisqa is an Islamic prayer for rain; in this case, South Sumatra Gov. Herman Deru said it was meant to accompany, rather than replace, firefighting and drought-response work, according to the AP.
Government figures cited by the AP put South Sumatra at the top of the country’s reported wildfire-hotspot count, with 1,429 hotspots. West Kalimantan recorded 1,226 and Central Kalimantan had 811, according to Environment Ministry satellite data reported by the news agency.
Forestry Ministry data cited by the AP said nearly 940 square kilometers of land burned across Indonesia in July, including more than 20 square kilometers in South Sumatra. The figures were reported secondhand by the AP; underlying ministry releases were not included with the reported data.
Firefighting operations and regional haze
Indonesia has expanded weather-modification efforts intended to help firefighting operations, the AP reported. The work involves dispersing salt particles into suitable clouds to induce rain, a process commonly called cloud seeding.
- Thirty aircraft were assigned to cloud-seeding and water-bombing missions over Kalimantan, according to the AP report.
- Another 22 helicopters were operating across Sumatra.
- The National Disaster Management Agency said dense smoke had crossed into Malaysia and Brunei, the AP reported.
The report linked the current fires to a long dry period and an intensifying El Niño pattern. It also described forest and peatland fires as a recurring dry-season problem in Indonesia, where haze has at times prompted complaints from neighboring Southeast Asian countries.
Police had arrested 72 people suspected of starting some fires, while four companies were under investigation over allegations that fire was used to clear land cheaply, according to the AP. Those arrests and investigations do not establish responsibility for any particular blaze. The report said plantation owners and traditional farmers often use fire to clear land, a practice that can produce hazardous haze and disrupt road and air travel.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.