To tackle the severe droughts and water shortages that plague the country, Kazakhstan has resorted to cloud seeding, a weather modification method previously unseen in Central Asia."The aircraft is specifically equipped with a cloud-seeding flare system," Ahmed Aljaberi, a pilot with the United Arab Emirates' meteorological centre, which conducts cloud seeding at home and is collaborating with Kazakhstan on the project, explained to AFP.Cartridges fixed on the aircraft's wings contain a substance that, when dispersed, sticks to cloud droplets, making them heavy enough to fall as rain.
Turkestan is Kazakhstan's leading agricultural cotton-growing region © Ruslan PRYANIKOV / AFP
Kazakh authorities are betting on cloud seeding to reduce the impact of drought and water shortages in its southern Turkestan region, the country's leading cotton-growing region.Areas in the region with some 9,110 square kilometres of arable land are being targeted, with estimated economic benefits of around $75 million a year through better harvests.- 'Local and short-lived' - Delivering droplets onto the parched crops requires meticulous preparation to identify suitable clouds.The plane must "get as close as possible, detect the updrafts, and begin seeding," Aljaberi told AFP on board the flight.At best, the technique can increase precipitation by 15 to 20 percent, according to various scientific studies.But those involved also highlight the significant risk of failure due to numerous factors, not least because not just any cloud can be seeded."Salt particles -- specifically sodium chloride and potassium chloride -- are most often used" as cloud-seeding agents, said Adnan Yarmohammed, one of the Emirati officials in charge of sharing his country's experience.
