Dubai drone cloud seeding raises flooding, biodiversity, weaponisation concerns

A programme operated by the Dubai government to generate rain by seeding clouds using drones raised concerns about dangerous flooding, biodiversity loss, and its possible weaponisation for geo-political purposes.

First reported by the Washington Post, the state's National Center of Meteorology (NCM) conducted 126 cloud seeding operations since 2021 using drones developed by the University of Reading working in conjunction with the University of Bath. 

Catapults launch the drones which zap clouds with an electric charge, charging the droplets inside.

Regular heatwaves, little rainfall and a lack of freshwater meant the programme largely received a positive response from Dubai citizens. 

However, the seeding operations also overwhelmed drainage systems, disrupted public transport systems and caused extensive property damage.

In addition, some experts expressed concerns that the system could disrupt local biological ecosystems, potentially leading to unintended consequences for flora and fauna.

Concerns were also expressed about the geo-political ramifications of 'rain stealing' and other potential weaponisations of the technology.