In Dubai, began to cause artificial rains with the help of drones

On July 26, 2021, it became known that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) turned to a unique technological solution its essence is that drones shoot electric charges and, as a result, help cause precipitation.

The Middle East, already on the verge of habitation due to extreme heat, may become uninhabitable by 2050 due to rising temperatures and declining groundwater levels. For thousands of years, people have tried different strategies to cause rain from the sky, and in the last century these attempts became more perfect.

In Dubai, began to cause artificial rains with the help of drones

Footage recently released by the UAE meteorological agency shows how heavy rain is raining in the desert. It is reported that the falling rain precipitation was the result of a pilot test of drones on the ground. The use of unmanned drones generating electricity may seem a little reckless in the middle of thunderstorm clouds, but this electricity can be a key ingredient in causing rain.

Clouds consist of water droplets that are too small to fall from the sky, and electrical charges cause these small droplets to collide and connect to each other in larger ones, which eventually become heavy enough to fall in the form of rain. However, in a country such as the UAE, even large enough drops to fall in the form of rain often evaporate and do not reach the ground due to very low humidity. The electric charging method can help feed these drops so that they finally reach the surface of the desert and replenish the water reserves that fall due to the rapid growth of the region.

Researchers at the University of Reading who created this system spent time modeling it and also conducted balloon trials throughout 2020 to assess its effectiveness. In early 2021, tests began with the help of already drones.

The UAE is not the only country that has resorted to artificial rains. China plans to saturate clouds from the Himalayas, and South Korea and Thailand use cloud saturation to cause rain and combat pollution. In 2020, in Indonesia, clouds were overloaded with particles to cause rain. Different climatic zones react differently to artificial cloud enrichment and this technology is still considered a meteorological risky activity, given the difficulties of correctly performing this procedure.

The Emirates is expected to be even drier, so finding water resources from anywhere, including electrified clouds, is a priority for the country. But more rain will help solve only one part of the country's climatic problems, because in addition to drying out, a sharp warming in the country is expected. If carbon emissions continue to grow unhindered, then by 2050 the country may warm by 2.4 ° C. Even if the leaders take on themselves and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, this will not be enough. This means that in all likelihood, rescuing the UAE will require not only drones, but also other technological solutions to the problem as a whole^[1]

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