Understanding Dubai’s Artificial Rain: The Link to Weather Chaos and Floods in UAE

Cloud seeding has the potential to provide benefits, but there are concerns about its impact. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the annual rainfall is less than 200 millimeters, and the region faces immense pressure on its water resources due to high temperatures and heavy reliance on groundwater sources. To address this issue, the UAE has pioneered innovative solutions, including the use of cloud seeding to generate artificial rain and increase precipitation.

The process involves identifying suitable clouds for seeding based on precipitation patterns and using specialized aircraft equipped with hygroscopic flares to release the seeding agent, which helps stimulate cloud growth and ultimately augment rainfall. The UAE’s Rain Enhancement Program (UAEREP), managed by the Emirates’ National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), has focused on analyzing the physical and chemical characteristics of the UAE’s atmosphere to identify an effective agent to stimulate cloud growth. While some concerns have been raised about environmental impact, the UAEREP has addressed these by refraining from using harmful chemicals and instead employing natural salts as seeding agents.

The NCM has also developed its own seeding agent known as nano material, consisting of fine salt coated with titanium oxide, which is currently undergoing trials and experimentation to assess its effectiveness in enhancing precipitation. Despite the potential benefits, there have been concerns about “tinkering” with nature, with some warning against meddling with the natural order of things and claiming that floods are nature’s way of “pushing back” in response to exceptional weather conditions. However, the NCM has taken measures to ensure the safety and sustainability of its operations and address environmental concerns.