The UAE Seeks Leading Position in Global Rain Enhancement Research

Abstract

Rain enhancement offers an unrealised potential for arid and semi-arid countries and beyond, to ensure sustainable water supplies for countries suffering from shortages. Cloud seeding operations have been conducted in the UAE since the 1990s and continue today with 6 Beechcraft King Air C90 aircrafts.The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science is an initiative of the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs, overseen by the National Center of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), that offers a grant of US$ 5 million over a three-year period, to be shared by up to five winning research proposals, selected by a two-stage merit review decision process.The aim is to enhance and further develop capacity in the field both locally and globally by developing research and operational capacities while spurring global research collaborations in the region. Due to the success of the Program, ground-breaking work is already being carried out on precipitation enhancement through the use of nanotechnology, land cover modification, innovative algorithms, ice production processes, aerosols optimization and observation of the electrical aspects of rain generation.