The project aims to increase water levels in reservoirs. It will also increase water resources for agricultural needs in the south of the country.
Full-scale implementation of the project begins today, May 17. The technology is designed to mitigate the impact of drought and water shortages on agricultural areas in the Turkestan region, covering a total of over 911,000 hectares of arable land. The project is being implemented in collaboration with the UAE National Meteorological Center, which has extensive experience in weather modification and artificial precipitation enhancement technologies since the late 1980s.
The ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zhaslan Madiyev, President of the UN World Meteorological Organization and Director-General of the UAE National Meteorological Center Abdullah Ahmed Al-Mandous, UAE Ambassador to Kazakhstan Muhammad Saeed Muhammad Al-Ariki, and Akim of the Turkestan region, Nuralkhan Kusherov.
“Kazakhstan is taking a practical step toward creating a new system of climate resilience. For the first time in the region, a project of this scale in the field of artificial precipitation enhancement technologies is being launched. For us, this is the beginning of the formation of a modern climate infrastructure based on science, international partnership, and digital technologies. The project is being implemented jointly with leading global experts and creates a foundation for technology transfer and the training of Kazakhstani specialists,” noted Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev.
International experts highly praise the technology. According to them, artificial rain technology can increase precipitation by 10-20%. The technology is actively used in China, the United States, the UAE, France, and Saudi Arabia. The project is being implemented locally in areas with increased water demand, primarily in agricultural areas.
The selection of work areas is carried out in collaboration with meteorological services and relevant government agencies, taking into account weather conditions, the environmental situation, and water supply needs. The technology has a localized impact, with a radius of no more than 5 kilometers, and is not associated with the formation of large-scale weather events. Salt-based reagents, commonly used in international rainfall enhancement technologies, are used for the work.
The project is expected to improve the efficiency of water supply to agricultural areas, reduce drought damage, and support crop yield growth. The potential economic impact is estimated at up to 35 billion tenge per year. As part of this collaboration, specialists from the UAE National Meteorological Center are training specialists from the Turkestan region in weather modification technologies, including meteorologists, pilots, engineers, and other relevant specialists. The possibility of scaling up the technology in other regions of Kazakhstan is also being considered, and the foundation for developing Kazakhstan’s own climate technologies is being laid.
It’s worth noting that, given declining water resources and drought, such technologies are a real lifesaver. In particular, scientists previously warned Central Asian countries about a water crisis. In response to these forecasts, Kazakhstan decided to be proactive and prevent a water crisis in the country.
It was previously reported that Uzbekistan was also interested in artificial rain technology. However, there is no information yet on the project’s implementation. It was previously reported that Uzbekistan consumes almost half of the water in all of Central Asia, consuming 54.56 billion cubic meters of water. Kazakhstan, in turn, wastes 22.77 billion cubic meters of water.
Scientists have also reported that the water level in the Amu Darya has significantly decreased over the past 125 years. At the beginning of the last century, the Amu Darya’s water flow was 2,300 cubic meters per second. Currently, this volume has halved. Given these factors, other Central Asian countries may also soon begin using rain-inducing technology.