The United Arab Emirates is intensifying efforts to combat water scarcity through cloud seeding, a technique in which aircraft deposit salt particles into clouds to increase rainfall. When dark clouds gather over the desert mountains, pilots take off in specially equipped planes, aiming to transform vapour into vital rain.
The effort, which costs millions every year, is part of the UAE’s larger climate adaptation strategy. The technology, which uses potassium chloride to stimulate droplet formation, seeks to supplement freshwater supplies in a country that receives less than 100 millimetres of rain per year and relies largely on desalination.
According to the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, 10 pilots and four aircraft are on standby year-round to conduct missions whenever “seedable” clouds emerge. Each flight hour costs approximately $8,000, although experts claim that the cost is still less than that of desalinated water.
According to a 2021 study, rainfall in specified places increased by 23%, while storms produced up to 159% more precipitation. Although researchers acknowledge that the outcomes are difficult to measure, estimations imply that cloud seeding could increase usable water by up to 419 million cubic meters per year.
