How Dubai Makes Its Own Rain Using Drone Technology

For a dry and hot country like Dubai, enduring the climate is one of the most challenging parts of living there. Unlike other countries that get more rain to cool after bathing under the hot sun. In Dubai, this is something that most people have to get used to and sometimes the temperature can reach a scorching 48 degrees Celsius(118 degrees Fahrenheit).

The government of Dubai has taken drastic measures to overcome this hot climate and scientist has conducted research on the best way to make it rain using cloud-seeding techniques and utilizing drones. This matter has been revealed by the National Center of Metrology, United Arab Emirates(UAE).

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Every year the UAE only receives 4 inches of rain and with this technology, the government is hoping that cloud seeding will be able to produce rain more often and help with the heatwave of the country.

What is Cloud Seeding?

Cloud seeding is a weather-modification technique that serves the purpose of changing the volume or type of downpour that will fall from the cloud by dispersing substance in the air that acts as an agent to change the microphysical processes within the cloud.

Its effectiveness has been debated before with several studies showing how difficult it is to show clearly that cloud seeding even has a huge impact. Objectively, this technique is to increase the amount of rain that occurs or even prevent rain from happening a few days after that.

The Chemical reagent most commonly used in cloud seeding will be silver iodide, potassium iodide, and dry ice(solid carbon dioxide). Liquid propane that easily turns to gas has also been used. This can produce crystal ice at a much higher temperature compared to silver iodide.

The chemical substances will be dispersed by plane or a device on land(generator or anti-aircraft rocket or missiles). To do it by air, the silver iodide will first be lighted and dispersed while the plane is flying through the cloud.

However, the use of silver iodide as a chemical reagent has become controversial. With an evaluation hazard of NFPA 704 Type II, silver iodide can be said as causing temporary physical disability or possibility of harm to humans and other mammals with strong or chronic exposure.

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But there have been several ecological studies that are more specified in showing the effect on the environment and health might not be as bad as people expected. This might be due to that the percentage amount of silver iodide being produced is relatively low at only 1 percent of the industrial release to the atmosphere in most parts of the world.

Use of Electrical Charge

The metrological officer has released footage that shows the heavy downpour that is happening at Ras al Khaimah as well as in several other regions. The cloud seeding technique that was being used is believed to be environmentally friendly. It also does not cause a lot of problems to the environment, unlike silver iodide.

The effort towards utilizing cloud seeding has been a part of a continuous project of the UAE as the government has spent $15 million to produce rain in the country. The technology was created by an expert at the University of Reading, UK.

Professor Maarten Ambaum that was involved in this project has said that the UAE will have enough clouds to make the whole surrounding rain. When the water droplets combine together making it big then rain will fall.

UAE at this time is also looking into other techniques that can produce rain making the whole nation wet and not just evaporating in the air. Before this can become a reality, the government is also doing more research on the plan of building dams as well as water catchments so that the rain can benefit to its maximum potential.

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Artificial rain is very crucial since Dubai only receives a small amount of rain each year. This heavily affects the agricultural industry as the country is forced to import more than 80 percent of food from other countries. If the agricultural industry can be improved then UAE would be less dependent on importing products.

Not a Usual Cloud Seeding Technique

In the technique that has been used, the drone was utilized to shoot lasers toward the sky and charge it with electricity. This move will drive precipitation that will force the water droplets to merge into bigger droplets and move the wind toward producing rain.

The technology that is being used in Dubai is not the same as the cloud seeding technique that is currently being used in the United States of America in 1923 as the country is fighting against a very long drought. Cloud seeding techniques used by the US required the silver iodide to be broken down.

Even though the use of drones is seen to be safer and more eco-friendly, it has not stopped people from criticizing it. Most people were worried that the use of drones for cloud seeding can cause an unintentional flood. They were also worried about it being used commercially as things may get out of hand.

According to records, the UAE is one of the first countries in the Arabian Gulf that uses cloud seeding technology according to the National Center of Metrology. In the meantime, artificial rain is being done in 8 states in the US based on The Scientific American.

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