Researchers win $5 million grant for rain enhancement work
▶ Three scientists recognised at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week for their work on the seeding and formation of clouds to help answer humanity’s pressing need for water sources
Three scientists who hope to use technology to create more rainfall in some of the world’s driest countries have been awarded $5 million by the UAE.
Prof Eric Frew, Dr Ali Abshaev and Dr Lulin Xue were yesterday awarded the prize by the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week yesterday.
One of the methods involves the use of drones to seed clouds, rather than piloted aircraft. Prof Frew works at the University of Colorado, where the drones are being built.
They use an algorithm to determine where to fly, have a 5-metre wing span and can carry 15 kilograms of payload.
Experiments have been conducted in Tornado Alley in the US and the team will be carrying out a field campaign in the UAE with drones. Results are expected over the next few years.
“The hope is to put the ground grew as close to the storm as possible,” Prof Frew told The National.
“The drone decides where to fly. There is always a person overseeing, rather than piloting.”
The UAE has an annual rainfall of about 10 centimetres, high evaporation of surface water and depleting groundwater reserves, which is why the country wants to help the best scientists to make their theories a reality.
Abdullah Al Mandous is the director of the National Centre of Meteorology, which runs the UAE’s cloud-seeding programme.
He said it would “help to solve water security across the globe and bring water to the driest places on Earth”.
“We wish the awardees all the success in their studies,” Mr Al Mandous said.
Three pioneering researchers have won a $5 million grant for their work on rain enhancement, which was announced as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week at Adnec yesterday.
Prof Eric Frew, Dr Ali Abshaev and Dr Lulin Xue were awarded the prize by the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science.
Prof Frew is researching the use of drones to seed clouds, Dr Xue is trying to improve the scientific understanding of the rain enhancement process and Dr Abshaev is looking at creating artificial updrafts in clouds.
The programme was launched in 2015 by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Presidential Affairs, to tackle the issue of water security.
Sheikh Mansour said the award “demonstrates our leadership in strengthening global water security and devising the innovative solutions needed to aid people around the world at risk of water stress”.
“As rapidly expanding populations place increasing pressure on limited water sources, the UAE is playing a dynamic and imaginative role in advancing the science and technology needed to ensure water for all in need.”
The three winners were among 201 entries from 68 countries.
Prof Frew works at the University of Colorado; Dr Xue at the Hua Xin Chuang Zhi Science and Technology in Beijing; and Prof Abshaev from the Rain Suppression Research Centre in Nalchik, Russia.
Particularly striking was the work of Prof Frew in the US, who is pioneering the use of drones in cloud seeding.
While the work is at an early stage, it involves using radar to monitor an approaching storm and then identifying whether it is useful for cloud seeding.
That triggers the launch of a first drone, which assesses the clouds using different sensors.
If the cloud is good for seeding, a second drone is launched to fire salt flares into the cloud.
These salt particles attract water droplets in the hope they will fall to the ground as rain. All this can take place in a matter of hours.
The drones built at the university are not directly piloted but use an algorithm to determine where to fly.
They have a 5-metre wing span and can carry 15 kilograms.
Experiments have been conducted in Tornado Alley in the US and the team will be carrying out a field campaign in the UAE with drones.
Results are expected over the next few years.
“The hope is to put the ground crew as close to the storm as possible,” Prof Frew told The National.
“The drone decides where to fly. There is always a person overseeing rather than piloting.”
The work of Dr Xue, meanwhile, aims to understand the physics behind clouds.
He is conducting experiments to simulate clouds and seeding operations in a chamber. Depending on the results, these simulations can then be attempted under real conditions.
Most of this research will be
conducted in China but conditions unique to UAE will be tested.
“Cloud seeding is probably one of the most efficient ways to gain a large amount of water as an extra source,” Dr Xue said. “It’s also more cost-effective than desalination and other methods.”
The work of Dr Abshaev is focusing on creating artificial updrafts using solar energy that could then form clouds and lead to rainfall.
“We selected this project after looking at rain enhancement technology in the UAE,” he said.
“When there are no clouds, there is no chance for precipitation. So producing an updraft may produce the formation of a cloud.”
Abdullah Al Mandous, director of the National Centre of Meteorology, which runs the UAE’s cloud-seeding programme, said the process would “help solve water security across the globe and bring water to the driest places on Earth”.
This year marks the third cycle of the awards and each project has a research plan of three years in length.
The next call for submissions will be delayed to support the work of the winners over the past three cycles.
“Although rain enhancement has been a relatively marginal scientific field for several decades, it is attracting increasing interest and funding,” said Omar Al Yazeedi, director of research, development and training at the NCM.
“As of 2017, 52 countries are conducting weather modification programmes.
“Next year will see a pause in our annual call for submissions to allow us to both assess the immense progress made so far and to set new long-term goals in co-operation with our network of international partners.
“In the immediate future, we will continue to support our nine awardees in their efforts to expand the knowledge frontiers of this richly promising field.”
The UAE is playing a dynamic and imaginative role in advancing the science and technology needed to ensure water for all in need
SHEIKH MANSOUR BIN ZAYED
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Presidential Affairs