ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A new Iraqi government initiative plans to induce rain using cloud seeding technology amid increased drought and climate threats, a senior official involved with the effort told Rudaw on Wednesday.
The Iraqi government’s plans to create artificial rainfall - the first of its kind in the country - would be used across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region under a newly-formed government-run center, pending approval by the Council of Ministers.
The proposed Center for Artificial Precipitation and Water Stability is planning to produce artificial rainfall using technologies known as cloud seeding, including drones, balloons and ion-based cloud charging, Ahmad Karim Nasir, head of the meteorology department at Iraq’s Agriculture Ministry, told Rudaw.
The proposed center is part of a wider Iraqi government initiative to address the country’s critical water shortages. The International Organization for Migration ranked Iraq the world’s fifth-most vulnerable country to climate shocks in 2022, citing rising temperatures, declining precipitation and worsening droughts.
Nasir said Iraq intends to use drones and balloons emitting electrical charges to polarize dust and draw out moisture from clouds, causing small droplets to clump together and become rain. The technique has had varying degrees of success internationally, with the United Arab Emirates leading ambitious cloud seeding efforts to mitigate drought.
Nasir said the initiative envisions Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, will be divided into four climatic zones, with drones and balloons used in plains and low-lying areas. Ions, which charge clouds to create rainfall, are being considered for mountainous regions, he said. Decisions on geographic priorities will be made by the center once it becomes operational, Nasir added.
According to Nasir, the committee charged with creating the proposed center is evaluating several companies with Middle East cloud seeding experience in anticipation of the center’s launch.