Iran turns to cloud seeding as historic drought deepens – Firstpost

Iran, facing its worst water shortage in decades, has begun deploying new cloud-seeding flights to curb rain, according to state media reports.

The first operation of the current water year – which began in September – took place on the Urmia Lake Basin iRNA The news agency made the announcement late Saturday night. Urmia, once the country’s largest lake, has shrunk dramatically, leaving behind a vast salt flat, as prolonged drought and mismanagement continue to take its toll.

Officials plan to expand the cloud-seeding mission to East and West Azerbaijan provinces in the coming days. This technique involves spreading substances such as silver iodide or salt from aircraft to encourage moisture in clouds to condense and fall as rain. Iran revealed last year that it had developed the domestic expertise to conduct these operations independently.

The latest intervention comes as rainfall levels have fallen well below seasonal norms. iRNA The National Meteorological Service was quoted as saying that rainfall across the country has fallen by about 89 percent compared to the long-term average. The organization has warned that this autumn is going to be the driest in the country in the last half century.

Despite the grim picture, sporadic rain was recorded on Saturday in parts of West Azerbaijan as well as several western provinces, including Ilam, Kermanshah, Kurdistan and Lorestan. State media also broadcast rare early-season snowfall on ski resorts in the Tochal Mountains and Alborz range near Tehran.

Much of Iran, known for its dry climate, has long grappled with recurring droughts and increasing heat waves – conditions scientists say are likely to become even more intense with global warming. Tehran in particular has seen its lowest rainfall in nearly 100 years, according to city officials, while almost half of the country’s provinces have seen no measurable rainfall for months.

Prolonged drought has also pushed reservoirs to historic lows, raising concerns about water supplies in many areas. Earlier in November, President Massoud Pezeshkian warned that if rain did not fall in the capital before winter began, authorities might have to consider evacuating parts of Tehran, though he did not provide further details.

Iran is not alone in experimenting with climate modification. Many neighboring countries, including the United Arab Emirates, have also turned to cloud seeding in hopes of alleviating their water shortages.