UAE Teams Up With US For Innovative Rain Enhancement Research Initiatives

The UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP) has wrapped up its Roadshow in the United States. The event aimed to explore new research collaboration opportunities in weather enhancement through rain enhancement technologies. It also marked the official launch of a research project led by Professor Will Cantrell from Michigan Technological University (MTU), USA, awarded during the 5th UAEREP grant cycle.

The roadshow included visits to key research centres in Michigan and New York, focusing on advanced technology and water sustainability. These centres included MTU's Great Lakes Research Center, NASA, IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Columbia University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and The City College of New York.

During the tour, the UAEREP delegation participated in the "United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development" at the UN headquarters in New York. This involvement allowed them to learn about global trends related to SDG 6 and SDG 13. This knowledge will help UAEREP continue supporting water sustainability goals through innovative rain enhancement technologies as a sustainable water source.

The programme is preparing to announce the start of its new grants cycle in January 2025. This upcoming cycle will focus on five main areas: enhanced seeding materials, rain enhancement systems, autonomous aerial systems, localised climate intervention, and advanced models, software, and data. Additionally, it will build on outputs from 14 previous research projects funded by the programme.

The roadshow strengthened cooperation with leading scientists and experts in weather modification and rain enhancement research in both Michigan and New York. The programme exchanged expertise with researchers and scientists from all visited institutions specialising in water security and environmental sustainability.

Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, Director-General of the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) and President of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), stated: "In line with the UAE's commitment to supporting ground-breaking research initiatives and building international partnerships to seek effective solutions to address water scarcity challenges and improve weather worldwide, we commit to exploring new collaboration opportunities with some of the world’s leading environmental and water sustainability research institutions, stakeholders, researchers, scientists, and policymakers."

Innovative Research Project Launch

Alya Al Mazroui, Director of UAEREP, mentioned: "Our first stop on this tour focused on launching the innovative research project by Professor Will Cantrell and his team at MTU, award recipients of the 5th UAEREP grant cycle. Their project utilises laboratory studies and modelling to determine the suitability of clouds for hygroscopic seeding. We very much look forward to further collaboration with Professor Cantrell through the unique expertise and research infrastructure provided by the national centre in the field of rain enhancement research."

The project led by Professor Cantrell aims to identify clouds that can be effectively modified through hygroscopic seeding or electrical charging for enhanced precipitation. The experimental approach relies on a unique cloud chamber at MTU that can create steady cloud conditions over extended periods for high-resolution data collection on cloud properties.

Research Team Contributions

Professor Cantrell's team includes researchers from international institutions such as the University of Utah, Mesa Photonics Laboratory, and Weather Modification International. The project aligns with UAEREP’s vision of supporting capacity-building initiatives within the research community for sustained progress in rain enhancement science.

Professor Cantrell expressed enthusiasm about sharing their ambitious project details with UAEREP: "My team and I are thrilled to share the details of our ambitious project with the programme team on the ground. We are confident that this research project will make a significant contribution alongside other projects that have received programme grants in previous cycles."

This roadshow not only launched an innovative project but also paved the way for future collaborations aimed at addressing global water scarcity challenges through advanced rain enhancement technologies.

With inputs from WAM