Artificial rain in Kazakhstan (and Kyrgyzstan’s concerns)

With technical support from the United Arab Emirates, the government in Astana is the first in Central Asia to trial cloud-seeding systems, designed to provide moisture to agricultural land even during dry seasons. But former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Zaparov has sounded the alarm: artificially induced rainfall in one region could have a negative impact on the climate of another.

Astana (AsiaNews) - Artificial rainfall technology has been used for the first time in southern Kazakhstan. The government stated that the experiment drew on global experience in combating drought. Meanwhile, neighbouring Kyrgyzstan fears that the experiments could have a negative impact on the ecosystem of the Central Asian region.

In May, an artificial rainfall project was launched in the Kazakh region of Turkestan, with the aim of providing moisture to agricultural land across 911,000 hectares of crops.

Kazakhstan is implementing this innovation in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates’ National Meteorological Centre. Artificial rain is the process of converting clouds into precipitation, known in English as ‘cloud seeding’.

A cloud is composed of tiny water droplets, too light to turn into rain, which therefore float in the air. After an aircraft sprays silver iodide into the sky, the droplets solidify and ice begins to form around them. The ice crystals gradually become heavier and, after a while, fall as rain or snow.

Scientists disagree on the effectiveness of this technology; some claim it is a useful tool in situations such as forest fires and protecting crops from hail, but its use to combat prolonged drought is not recommended.

Rainmaking technology is used in several tropical countries, such as Thailand, where the rainmaking programme is said to have helped save rice crops from drought. In Jordan, a sandy country, the technology could not be used due to sparse or absent cloud cover. Similar technologies are used in China, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the United States and France.

Kazakhstan has become the first country in Central Asia to apply this technology, and following the announcement of the initiative, politicians and scientists from neighbouring Kyrgyzstan have expressed concern.

Former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Žaparov wrote on Facebook that artificially induced rainfall in one region could have a negative impact on the climate of another, stating that “mountain ecosystems are particularly sensitive to such changes, and Kyrgyzstan is one of the leading countries in the region in terms of water resource formation. Our glaciers are melting rapidly. Rivers, lakes and the water balance depend directly on moisture circulation, temperature and precipitation. If artificial weather modification technology were to be widely used in the region, its consequences could be long-lasting and affect the entire ecosystem of Central Asia".

According to Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Ecology, Mansur Ošurbaev, artificial rainfall is an eco-friendly and harmless operation that does not cause droughts in other areas, emphasising that Kazakhstan is implementing this method in collaboration with representatives of the World Meteorological Organisation.

On 15 May, Kazakh President Kasym-Žomart Tokaev hosted Abdullah Al-Mandous, President of the UN body and Director-General of the United Arab Emirates National Meteorological Centre, in Turkestan. The two sides emphasised the importance of developing early warning systems, modernising meteorological infrastructure and expanding the exchange of scientific data.

Whilst the Kazakh state media extol the benefits of the initiative, local scientists also harbour serious concerns. According to Bulat Essekin, coordinator of the Central Asian expert platform on water resource management, the impacts of this technology have not yet been thoroughly studied, so its use should be approached with caution: “When your neighbour starts renovation work, such as replacing the roof or the floor, it is normal to wonder what impact this will have.

Kazakhstan has signed the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, and we have committed to conducting consultations and scientific assessments before undertaking any action that may affect neighbouring regions.” Currently, there is no specific instrument in international law governing the issue of artificial rainfall. Experts believe that the lack of legal regulation could, over time, lead to diplomatic tensions.