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With the Advancement of Climate Change, Countries That Were Once Resistant to the System Are Now Adopting Cloud Seeding Technology as a Way to Increase Rainfall. Saudi Arabia, One of the Major Oil Exporters, Is One of the Countries Investing in the Sector
Saudi Arabia, the largest oil exporter in the world, is doing everything it can to increase rainfall in its territory. According to the Arab News, cloud seeding is already being done as a hope to increase annual precipitation. Today, the numbers are not encouraging, with only 100 millimeters per year.
How Is Cloud Seeding Done?
Cloud seeding is a technique that involves the introduction of certain chemicals into the clouds. One of these substances is silver iodide, which is used to induce rain. Water droplets join together and collide with each other, increasing the likelihood of rain.
What Is the Goal of Saudi Arabia??
Saudi Arabia is known to be one of the driest countries on the planet. Aware that this is a problem, authorities hope that this technique will work, increasing annual precipitation by up to 20%. With the increase in rainfall, a reduction in desertification in the country is expected. All this is done through Green Saudi Arabia, an initiative that seeks to increase vegetation and make the country more adapted to climate change.
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Ayman Ghulam, head of the National Center of Meteorology and supervisor of the program, emphasized that the program officially started last Monday. The first cloud seeding flights took place around the capital Riyadh.
The program will monitor clouds across Saudi Arabia in search of the best locations for the procedure to take place. The idea of the project is to use environmentally friendly products. According to Ghulam, cloud seeding is a promising way to preserve the environmental balance.
Several Countries Already Use the Technique
Today, it is not only Saudi Arabia that is using the technology. China is another major example of heavy investment to try to change the climate. The expenditures were in the millions in an attempt to alter the country’s weather ahead of major gatherings or events. The same is true for the United States, where the technology is widely used in Oregon and Idaho.
However, the technology is quite controversial, as many scientists do not trust the technique. The reason is that the increase in precipitation after operations is not very high. Test results show mixed outcomes. With the advancement of climate change, countries are finding themselves compelled to invest in technologies that promise to alter the climate.
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