Malaysia is gearing up to combat deteriorating air quality by attempting to 'make it rain' through cloud seeding.

The country, as per its Department of Environment,&nbsp;has been facing the recurring threat of air pollution, due to which it is even considering school closures.

<h2>What is causing the drop in air quality?</h2>

According to Reuters, the deteriorating air quality is caused by forest fires, primarily from land clearing activities for palm oil and pulp and paper plantations in neighbouring Indonesia.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-find-microplastics-in-cave-closed-to-humans-for-30-years-study-641823">Scientists find microplastics in cave closed to humans for 30 years: Study</a>

Last week, Kuala Lumpur blamed fires in Indonesia for the pollution. The neighbouring nation, however, denied any smoke crossing its borders into Malaysia. 
&nbsp; 
The Malaysian department earlier had said that a regional meteorological agency identified nearly 250 "hotspots," that were indicative of fires on Sumatra and Borneo islands in Indonesia. However, none were detected within Malaysia.

<h2>Burning throat and other health risks</h2>

Almost every dry season, thick smoke blankets the skies over the region, posing health risks and concerns for the tourism and aviation industries.

Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar, director of the Department of Environment in Malaysia recently, in a statement, reported a decline in air quality, particularly in the western part of Peninsular Malaysia. He said that in total, 11 areas recorded unhealthy Air Pollution Index (API) readings.

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To alleviate the situation, the nation will use methods, including cloud seeding and other measures to combat pollution. These methods will be initiated when API readings exceed 150 for more than 24 hours, announced Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar.

Furthermore, schools and kindergartens will be required to stop all outdoor activities when API readings reach 100. They will be closed when the API reaches 200.

Environmental organisation Greenpeace has called on countries in the region to enact legislation to hold plantation companies accountable for causing air pollution.&nbsp;

Heng Kiah Chun, regional campaign strategist for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, emphasised the need for a domestic transboundary haze act and said that enabling it "is necessary to act as a deterrent, especially as there are bad apples in the industry." 
 
(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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Malaysia is gearing up to combat deteriorating air quality by attempting to 'make it rain' through cloud seeding. The country, as per its Department of Environment, has been facing the recurring threat of air pollution, due to which it is even considering school closures.

Malaysia is gearing up to combat deteriorating air quality by attempting to 'make it rain' through cloud seeding. The country, as per its Department of Environment, has been facing the recurring threat of air pollution, due to which it is even considering school closures. What is causing the drop in air quality? According to Reuters, the deteriorating air quality is caused by forest fires, primarily from land clearing activities for palm oil and pulp and paper plantations in neighbouring Indonesia. Also read | Scientists find microplastics in cave closed to humans for 30 years: Study Last week, Kuala Lumpur blamed fires in Indonesia for the pollution. The neighbouring nation, however, denied any smoke crossing its borders into Malaysia. The Malaysian department earlier had said that a regional meteorological agency identified nearly 250 "hotspots," that were indicative of fires on Sumatra and Borneo islands in Indonesia. However, none were detected within Malaysia. Burning throat and other health risks Almost every dry season, thick smoke blankets the skies over the region, posing health risks and concerns for the tourism and aviation industries. Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar, director of the Department of Environment in Malaysia recently, in a statement, reported a decline in air quality, particularly in the western part of Peninsular Malaysia. He said that in total, 11 areas recorded unhealthy Air Pollution Index (API) readings. Also read | No pain, no gain a lie? New drug claims it can make you lose weight without any exercise To alleviate the situation, the nation will use methods, including cloud seeding and other measures to combat pollution. These methods will be initiated when API readings exceed 150 for more than 24 hours, announced Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar. Furthermore, schools and kindergartens will be required to stop all outdoor activities when API readings reach 100. They will be closed when the API reaches 200. Environmental organisation Greenpeace has called on countries in the region to enact legislation to hold plantation companies accountable for causing air pollution. Heng Kiah Chun, regional campaign strategist for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, emphasised the need for a domestic transboundary haze act and said that enabling it "is necessary to act as a deterrent, especially as there are bad apples in the industry." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Malaysia to use cloud seeding to 'manufacture' rain as air quality deteriorates

Smoke rising from Canadian wildfire is still plaguing the United States and has triggered air quality alerts in at least 11 states spread across Midwest, Plains and Great Lakes region on Sunday.

As predicted by forecasters, almost 60 million people from Montana to Ohio will face poor air quality and decreased visibility, which also includes residents of Cedar Rapids, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, and Cleveland.

The Air Quality Index was in the the “unhealthy” range which ranks between Level 4 of 6, on Sunday in a large expanse of the northern Plains from Montana through Illinois.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-weeks-of-ravaging-canada-wildfires-claim-first-firefighter-615775">After ravaging Canada for weeks, wildfires now claim life of young firefighter</a>

“While the concentration of smoke in the atmosphere should begin to wane by Monday, there is still enough smoke to support unhealthy air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups in parts of these regions into the start of the upcoming week,” the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Centre stated.

<h2>Smoke to get pushed eastwards</h2>

As stated by the experts, smoke will be pushed eastwards by the winds which will lead to a smoky haze to the Northeast early in the week. The British Columbia Wildfire Service said that the plume rose from 400 fires ignited in the province of British Columbia in the last week, almost half of which were started after 51,000 lightning strikes took place from thunderstorms.

Canadian authorities on Sunday announced the death of a second firefighter due to the wildfires.

“We regret to share the tragic news that a firefighter from Fort Liard has passed away from an injury sustained while fighting a wildfire in the Fort Liard District Saturday afternoon,” said Canada’s Northwest Territories, in a statement.

The death of the first firefighter, who was fighting a blaze near southeastern British Columbia's town Revelstoke, was confirmed by the officials on Thursday.

WATCH |&nbsp;How did exactly Canadian wildfires start?

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“I’m incredibly saddened by the news from the Northwest Territories, that another firefighter has lost their life battling wildfires,” tweeted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday. “To their family, their friends, and those they were heroically serving alongside: Canadians are keeping you in our thoughts. We’re here for you,” he added.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said that wildfire smoke is filled with tiny pollutants which are known as particle matter or PM 2.5 and can get into the bloodstream and lungs once inhaled.

It added that the pollutants generally cause irritation in the eyes and throat and difficulty breathing and have been related to more serious long-term health issues like lung cancer.&nbsp;

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Smoke rising from Canadian wildfire is still plaguing the United States and has triggered air quality alerts in at least 11 states spread across Midwest, Plains and Great Lakes region on Sunday.

Smoke rising from Canadian wildfire is still plaguing the United States and has triggered air quality alerts in at least 11 states spread across Midwest, Plains and Great Lakes region on Sunday. As predicted by forecasters, almost 60 million people from Montana to Ohio will face poor air quality and decreased visibility, which also includes residents of Cedar Rapids, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, and Cleveland. The Air Quality Index was in the the “unhealthy” range which ranks between Level 4 of 6, on Sunday in a large expanse of the northern Plains from Montana through Illinois. ALSO READ | After ravaging Canada for weeks, wildfires now claim life of young firefighter “While the concentration of smoke in the atmosphere should begin to wane by Monday, there is still enough smoke to support unhealthy air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups in parts of these regions into the start of the upcoming week,” the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Centre stated. Smoke to get pushed eastwards As stated by the experts, smoke will be pushed eastwards by the winds which will lead to a smoky haze to the Northeast early in the week. The British Columbia Wildfire Service said that the plume rose from 400 fires ignited in the province of British Columbia in the last week, almost half of which were started after 51,000 lightning strikes took place from thunderstorms. Canadian authorities on Sunday announced the death of a second firefighter due to the wildfires. “We regret to share the tragic news that a firefighter from Fort Liard has passed away from an injury sustained while fighting a wildfire in the Fort Liard District Saturday afternoon,” said Canada’s Northwest Territories, in a statement. The death of the first firefighter, who was fighting a blaze near southeastern British Columbia's town Revelstoke, was confirmed by the officials on Thursday. WATCH | How did exactly Canadian wildfires start? “I’m incredibly saddened by the news from the Northwest Territories, that another firefighter has lost their life battling wildfires,” tweeted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday. “To their family, their friends, and those they were heroically serving alongside: Canadians are keeping you in our thoughts. We’re here for you,” he added. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said that wildfire smoke is filled with tiny pollutants which are known as particle matter or PM 2.5 and can get into the bloodstream and lungs once inhaled. It added that the pollutants generally cause irritation in the eyes and throat and difficulty breathing and have been related to more serious long-term health issues like lung cancer. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Smoke from Canadian wildfires places 60 million US residents under air quality alerts

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Malaysia to use cloud seeding to 'manufacture' rain as air quality deteriorates

Smoke from Canadian wildfires places 60 million US residents under air quality alerts