ABU DHABI // A programme aimed at stimulating rainfall to increase water security in the UAE was launched by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs on Tuesday.
Managed by the National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), the Dh18.3 million programme will recruit scientists and researchers over the next three years to contribute research and innovation in the field of rain enhancement.
“Water is an extremely important element for us due to the water scarcity in the UAE,” said Ahmed Al Zaabi, Deputy Minister of Presidential Affairs. “The UAE always seeks to find new techniques to save water and increase efficiency including through cloud seeding, desalination, use of solar energy and all other available sources of energy.”
The purpose of the programme is to stimulate and promote the science of rain enhancement.
“These fields, be it energy, cloud seeding or research, are important as far as we are concerned,” Mr Al Zaabi said. “We are constantly on the lookout for anything useful and advanced, and anything that could help in the progress of the UAE.”
Scientists estimate that by 2050 the world population will have increased by three billion.
“Ninety per cent of this growth will be in developing countries that rely on existing water supply and rainfall for food and water,” said Alya Al Mazrouei, director of the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science at NCMS. “Therefore, the global water supply will most likely be a crisis point of the future. Nobody would argue the fact that water is one of the key elements of civilisation and the science of rain enhancement has always been high among the aspirations of humanity, especially in arid regions.”
She said this has prompted atmospheric scientists to explore augmenting the water supply.
“Globally, scientists share the opinion that rain enhancement remains the real potential and integral to any water resource management strategy.”
A grant will be awarded to researchers over the next three years, with the first awards to be announced next January.
“A new award cycle will then begin,” Ms Al Mazrouei said. “It aims to increase rainfall in the UAE for water security, which will establish rain enhancement science technologies as reliable tools for freshwater supply. It will also enhance predictive capabilities for targeted cloud seeding operations and integrate new techniques to increase the efficiency of regional cloud seeding operations.”
She called for submissions from domestic, foreign, public and private organisations and individuals.
“We now have a good advanced programme on cloud seeding operations,” said Abdullah Al Madoos, executive director of NCMS. “We’re in a situation ready to advance in this science and there are many questions we have to define now. Everybody is accepting this science and it’s an open science to securing the water issue all over the world.”
Deon Terblanche, director of atmospheric research and environment at the World Meteorology Organisation in Switzerland, said the initiative was a major step forward.
“We will assist and share scientific lessons learnt to enhance their capacity through this initiative,” he said. “It’s viewed as a very necessary next step in a long history of weather modification, which is viewed as one of the most complex issues scientifically.”
Mohammed Al Baili, deputy vice chancellor for academic affairs at UAE University, said institutions should incorporate the initiative within their programmes and research.
“We need to establish a capacity-building framework,” he said. “Research is very important and it’s going to be a great contributor to rain enhancement so we need to involve the international community and learn from other researchers.”
cmalek@thenational.ae
