Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Artificial intelligence is advancing cloud-seeding and water security innovation, as reflected in the three winning solutions of the 6th Award Cycle of the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP).
The projects span diverse research areas, but all three tap into AI capabilities to deliver high-impact rain enhancement outcomes.
Managed by the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), UAEREP announced the three awardees on Wednesday. Each project will receive up to $1.5 million in funding over three years, with a maximum annual allocation of $550,000.
Selected from 140 submissions following a rigorous review process, the top three focus on: advanced radar and AI applications to improve cloud-seeding evaluation; the development of next-gen glaciogenic seeding materials using AI and nanotechnology; and the exploration of land-based approaches to enhance rainfall.
These projects underscore UAEREP’s role in fostering scientific innovation and excellence in rain enhancement research.
“Under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, UAEREP has established itself as a global hub for scientific collaboration, attracting leading scientists and research institutions from around the world,” said Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, President of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Director General of the NCM.
“This reflects a fundamental approach of the broader UAE – we practise what we preach, investing with intelligence in practical and sustainable innovation.”
Speaking to Aletihad, Alya Al Mazroui, Director of UAEREP and Director of Research and Weather Enhancement Department at NCM, said artificial intelligence emerged as a central driver of innovation in this year’s cycle.
“These projects are focusing on different research areas, material science, land cover modification, and enhancing the effectiveness of the evaluation of the operations. But the main thing that all of them focus on is the assistance of AI to reach very high-quality outcomes after three years from now,” she said.
Modernising Cloud-Seeding Evaluation
Among the three awardees was Dr Michael Dixon, Principal Radar Meteorologist and Software Engineer, Echo Science Works, Boulder, Colorado, US, who was recognised for his research on “Advancing Cloud Seeding Science with Dual-Polarisation Radar Signatures and AI.”
Dr Dixon said his project aims to modernise cloud-seeding technology by updating existing systems and leveraging advanced radar observations.
“The project is about the technology associated with cloud-seeding and trying to improve that. We want to bring the current technology up to modern standards,” he told Aletihad.
He said AI and dual-polarisation radar form the backbone of the project. “One of the advances in weather radar has been dual polarisation, but that’s not currently being made use of. AI is an efficient way to explore that data space.”
The project will introduce more transparent and advanced cloud-seeding evaluation tools, while strengthening NCM’s in-house technical capabilities, he said.
Snow Enhancement
Another winner — Prof Linda Zou, Adjunct Professor, Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Australia — received the grant for a proposal on “AI-assisted Development and Optimisation of Glaciogenic Cloud Seeding Materials.”
In a nutshell, the concept is about developing the most efficient cloud-seeding material, particularly for snow enhancement, Prof Zou told Aletihad.
She said her research targets high-altitude cloud processes and supports climate adaptation. “Its cloud-seeding application can mitigate some of the climate change impacts and increase water supply.”
In Prof Zou’s research, the use of AI and new nanomaterials is proposed to improve ice-forming agents, with testing and training conducted at NCM through a cloud chamber.
“This project will be a combination of AI-assisted factor analysis, machine learning, and artificial neural networks for prediction,” she said.
Modifying Land to Boost Rain
Meanwhile, Dr Oliver Branch, Senior Scientist and Head Coordinator of the Land–Atmosphere Feedback Observatory at the Institute of Physics and Meteorology, University of Hohenheim in Germany, adopted a different approach by examining how land-surface modification could influence rainfall.
He received the award for his project on “Rainfall Enhancement through Modification of Land Cover and Land Form (RAINLAND).”
Speaking to Aletihad, Dr Branch said the research responds to the need to expand rain enhancement science beyond cloud-seeding as global demand for water continues to rise.
“Our method is a little bit different, because we are using the land surface to create an impact on the weather,” he told Aletihad. “We are going to measure the solar parks in the UAE and simulate this with high-resolution weather models.”
He said the research could reveal new ways to trigger convective rainfall. “We will simulate what happens if you double the size of this solar park. Will you get convective clouds?”
The RAINLAND project will combine observations and simulations to design land-surface modifications aimed at triggering cloud formation and enhancing rainfall in the UAE.
