Cloud Seeding Falls Short as State Plans for El Niño

Indonesia and Malaysia have conducted more than 100 cloud-seeding operations this year to bring rain, but the missions across Southeast Asia have done little to extinguish wildfires or disperse haze. Extreme dryness intensified by El Niño has limited their results, while smoke and its costs have landed on people living and working across the region.

Dry conditions have parched soils on Sumatra and Borneo. Toxic smog from what Bloomberg described as the worst wildfire season in a decade has disrupted oil palm harvests, forced schools to close and pushed air quality to unhealthy levels in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Farms, classrooms and neighborhoods bear the damage. The cloud-seeding operations haven't cleared the haze.

What the Government Says It Prepared

In the Philippines, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the Marcos administration began preparing for the anticipated super El Niño in 2025. “When we talk about El Niño, we have to understand that yes, it is a concern, but yes, we (also) saw this coming,” Gatchalian told The STAR's “Truth on the Line” the day before the report was published. He said the government had adopted a whole-of-government approach, including food stockpiling, solar-powered water pumps, water impounding projects and additional treatment facilities.

The Department of Agriculture had 75 days' worth of rice buffer stocks, both locally produced and imported, and more than 100 days' worth of pork and chicken supplies, Gatchalian said. “Our supplies are in those cold storages. So, this means this had been laid out already ahead of time. So, from helping our farmers to stockpiling food, we have more than enough, because that falls into food security,” he said. Those figures describe the government's stated reserves; the article gives no further details about how supplies will reach people affected by shortages.

Water Systems and Who Runs Them

The government has rolled out solar-powered water pumps to reduce reliance on electricity-driven systems. President Marcos inaugurated completed facilities in Ifugao, Cagayan and Cananga in Ormoc, Leyte. Gatchalian said the pumps had been rolling out over the years, and that he went with the president to Isabela as early as 2024. “Why solar? Because it is very important that you don't want to be overly reliant on electricity-driven pumps,” he said.

Small water impounding facilities have been built since 2023 to store water from springs, rivers and streams, including in remote communities. Authorities have also encouraged deep wells, and the government has activated more than 60 to 70 dormant wells, with more expected to return to operation, Gatchalian said. The response relies on public infrastructure and state coordination. The article reports no community-led water projects.

Six new water treatment facilities, mostly in Luzon, were expected to become operational that month. Gatchalian said the government was asking citizens to collect rainwater, while acknowledging that filtration is needed before it can be safely drunk. “We're asking our citizens to collect rainwater. But how are they going to use it? So, we need some type of filtration system to make sure the water they will be drinking is potable,” he said.

The Official Fixes

Gatchalian identified Waves for Water as the provider of the filtration system. The group operates in more than 40 countries and provides clean-water facilities; its system, initially used for camping and outdoor activities, is among the government's interventions to help communities access potable water. The source doesn't say who funds the group or provide figures on how many households will receive filters.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, Local Water Utilities Administration and Department of Agriculture were working to repair water distribution systems and reduce water losses, Gatchalian said. The Department of Energy was working to maintain stable power supplies through measures including battery storage systems and energy barges in island provinces. The official plan is a network of agencies, stored food, pumps, wells and treatment facilities. But the regional record on cloud seeding shows how little a managed intervention can do against drought and smoke already affecting ordinary people.