The U.A.E has been using cloud seeding, a process by which salt crystals are infused into clouds to cause rain, since the year 2001.

The National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) has said that this process was used even by the U.A.E since the 1990s, though it only began scientifically doing it in 2001.

This is because the U.A.E is a rain deficient country whose average annual rainfall is less than four inches.

However, the primary challenge is to retain this water.

Solutions being proposed to this include building aquifers and wells or collecting water instead of allowing it to travel over long distances, a process that makes it prone to catching dust and pollutants.

The replenishment of the U.A.E?s groundwater is a matter of great importance as it is expected to run out by 2030.

To this end, the National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) has collaborated with various environmental organizations .This is being done to reduce both evaporation and the surface run –off of water.

In July, the Ministry of Environment and Water estimated that a total of 86 million gallons of water  was collected in the Shoka valley dam, the Al Kassa dam and the Al Qushaish Valley dam.

As of now, there isn?t any method of indentifying whether rainfall is caused due to cloud seeding operations or not, but there is evidence of a strong correlation.

I hope that efforts to replenish the water table continue so that the U.A.E is able to maintain a good supply of water for generations to come.