The climate of Abu Dhabi and Dubai is often one of the most hostile, despite the various methods implemented to improve the land through artificial rain. Under this latent concern in Dubai and all the emirates, a revolutionary idea to change the landscape was presented at the International Forum on Precipitation Enhancement held last month in Abu Dhabi.
As is obvious, turning to technology is always a good option, and the much-discussed artificial intelligence is one of the most compelling tools of recent times. Although the “cloud seeding” method already exists in Dubai and throughout the territory, the idea is to improve it to forever eliminate this problem that can jeopardize the country’s economy.
How the AI system for generating rain in Dubai works
As presented at the International Forum on Precipitation Enhancement, this revolutionary new system is almost complete and was developed by the Western Center for Extreme Weather and Water (CW3E) at the University of California, San Diego. The method known as “cloud seeding” allows the tiny droplets present in the clouds to increase, which are the ones that will fall as rain. However, experts insist that the use of AI is not miraculous, so more studies and innovations will be needed.
This artificial intelligence method will increase precipitation by 10-15%, but it is not practical for all types of clouds; it only works with a select few. As the experts from the aforementioned institution state, this must be done at the right time and place, making the use of AI essential.
The revolutionary project that will improve the climate in Dubai
This project received an investment of 1.5 million dollars from the United Arab Emirates. The researchers behind this system have studies of meteorological data, satellites, and radar feeding an algorithm that will indicate where the necessary clouds will form for cloud seeding. This is also aided by a team of professionals who continuously monitor the satellites and dispatch flights to generate the seeding.
In a territory with an ever-increasing population, rain is necessary to encourage consumption, as well as agriculture. This phenomenon is not very common in the United Arab Emirates, but when it happens, many celebrate as if it were a true festivity. There is even an attraction where people pay to see the rain fall. This is the Raining Street in Dubai, where visitors spend 300 dirhams (81 dollars) to walk under a false precipitation.
Climate challenges in Dubai and throughout the territory
As mentioned at the International Forum on Precipitation Enhancement, this master plan faces challenges and difficulties. One of them is the lack of precision in detecting the clouds that will be suitable and that the AI cannot alert to in detail. Therefore, experts stress the need for detailed studies to prevent all possible failures.
The United Arab Emirates has a population of nearly 10 million, which uses desalinated water produced in plants that account for 14 percent of the world total. In this territory, only 100 millimeters of rain are recorded annually, so improving technologies will be important to increase quality of life and address one of the main problems in this enclave.
