CNA Explains: How Indonesia is using dry ice to break down haze

Indonesia is battling its worst wildfires in more than a decade, with the resulting haze choking the air across the country and Southeast Asia. Under certain weather conditions, a layer of warmer air above cooler air near the ground can act like a lid, preventing smoke and pollution from rising and dispersing. This is known as temperature inversion, which traps a blanket of haze close to the ground. Indonesia is now testing out an unusual approach — dry ice dispersal. The idea is to cool the layer of warm air, disrupt the temperature inversion and allow trapped smoke to rise and disperse. Authorities have prepared some 1.5 tonnes of dry ice, but it is worth noting that this experimental approach is the first of its kind in Indonesia. Chandni Vatvani reports from Jakarta.