Weather modification technology (TMC) will replace the rain handler at the MotoGP at the Mandalika Circuit, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on March 18-20.
Previously, in a meeting with Commission X DPR, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno said he no longer uses the services of a rain handler. He continued, preparations for the Mandalika MotoGP have reached 100%, but all parties must continue to pray because the weather problem is still one thing that needs to be anticipated. Therefore, he hopes that the TMC prepared by the government can prevent heavy rain from flushing the Mandalika MotoGP arena.
"Indeed, this is what we continue to strive for, the name is weather modification technology. So it involves BRIN, BMKG and the Indonesian Air Force. We hope that we can help mitigate the situation," he said.
What is weather modification technology?
Weather modification technology is a form of human effort to modify the weather with a specific purpose in order to get the weather conditions as desired.
Quoted from the BPPT website (now the BRIN Science Center), the purpose of weather modification is generally to increase the intensity of rainfall in a place (rain enhancement) or it can also be used for the opposite condition (rain reduction).
In the context of global warming that causes climate change, TMC is a reliable solution in reducing losses that can be caused by disasters caused by climate and weather factors.
How weather modification technology works
So far, people are familiar with TMC using aircraft that deliver seedling material in the form of NaCl to the cloud through the air. As it turns out, there are other methods for delivering the seedling material to the clouds.
In recent years, researchers have developed methods of delivering seedling material into the cloud from the ground, including using the Ground Based Generator (GBG) vehicle and the Flare Tree vehicle for static systems.
These two methods have the same working principle in delivering seedling material into the clouds, namely by utilizing the presence of orographic clouds and clouds growing around mountains as targets. Not surprisingly, the GBG and Flare Tree methods are usually used in areas with mountainous topography.
Weather modification technology in Mandalika
The implementation of the TMC operation in Mandalika is a follow-up to a request from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) which was submitted to BRIN on March 12, 2022.
The existence of BMKG early warnings in the NTB area that has the potential for heavy rain accompanied by lightning and tornadoes is also a consideration for implementing this technology in the Mandalika area.
In addition, the implementation of TMC is also based on the request of the Governor of NTB in connection with the stipulation of the status of Emergency Alert for Floods, Landslides and Tornados in the Province of NTB.
The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment has previously requested the implementation of TMC operations to support the Mandalika Super Priority Tourism Destination as part of efforts to prepare for the 2022 MotoGP series race event.
"We have sent 15 personnel from the TMC Management Laboratory and the Secretariat of the Deputy for Research and Innovation Infrastructure to carry out the country's duties," said Plt. Director of Strengthening and Partnerships, Research and Innovation Infrastructure, Salim Mustofa through a BRIN press release, Thursday (17/03).
The TMC operation in Mandalika is supported by 1 unit of Casa 212-200 aircraft from the 4th Squadron of the Indonesian Air Force at Abdulrahman Saleh Air Base, Malang. Operations command is held by M. Djazim Syaifullah, the implementing staff from the TMC Management Laboratory who was appointed as Field Coordinator for TMC Operations in Mandalika.
The Coordinator of the TMC Management Laboratory, Budi Harsoyo, said that the TMC operation in Mandalika is a type of TMC for the purpose of reducing rainfall (rain enhancement) which in recent years has begun to be widely applied for flood mitigation purposes or the purpose of securing national infrastructure development and a number of state events that held outdoors.