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UAE: Heavy summer rains boost farm production
Abu Dhabi - Cloud seeding had started in the country in the late 1990s and gradually gained momentum.
The summer rains received in the UAE over the recent weeks would help boost agricultural production in the country and rid crops of pests and diseases, said a government official.
Muhammad Al Dhanhani, the Director of the Health and Agricultural Development Department at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, said summer rains reflect positively on the country's agricultural production.
“The rains also wash fruits, tree leaves and branches and rid them of insects,” Al Dhanhani told Al Roaya, an Arabic daily.
“The rains stabilise the soil and increase the percentage of moisture in it. The rains also help the growth of seasonal plants, herbs and vegetation,” he added.
Al Dhanhani pointed out that reasonable summer rains lower the temperatures and improve the quality of agricultural production.
The official also noted that besides benefiting plants, birds and animals in the natural reserves, the summer rains contribute to purifying the atmosphere, feeding underground wells and dams, and raising their water levels.
“The promotion of good agricultural practices and continuous monitoring of the weather helps maximise the benefits of summer rains in the farm sector,” said Al Dhanhani.
The UAE received continuous heavy rains during July because of sustained cloud seeding.
Earlier, Dr. Ahmed Habib from the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) had told Khaleej Times that during summer, the country experiences monsoon low pressure, which originates in India and raises the temperature, especially in the eastern parts, and also increases the possibilities of rainy convective clouds.
He pointed out that heavy to moderate rains received during July were due to convective cloud formation in the eastward direction. This natural phenomenon is quite normal during the summer months.
“Cloud seeding operations are continuing in the country to enhance rainfall,” Habib said.
Cloud seeding, which is a method to artificially encourage cloud formation to trigger rainfall, had started in the UAE in the late 1990s, and gradually gathered momentum.
In 2019, the UAE conducted 247 missions, which was up from 184 in 2018.
Cloud seeding involves flying an aircraft to a cloud that has little rain droplets. The aircraft shoots salt flares into the cloud to enhance rainfall.
The NCM has also been using ground-based seeding generators in its rain enhancement operations since March 2019.
The new method employs environmentally friendly and alternative techniques, complementing the traditional one of cloud-seeding, which is carried out with the help of a special aircraft.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com
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