water crisis
Cloud seeding promises to squeeze more rain from clouds in a world facing worsening water shortages. But the science remains uncertain, the costs are high and the risks are not fully understood. As droughts intensify across Africa, can a decades-old technology really help solve the continent’s water crisis?
By
Julie Desrousseaux
In the skies above Béni Mellal, on the edge of Morocco’s Middle Atlas, a Royal Gendarmerie Alpha Jet flies over a cloud identified several hours earlier. On the ground, a technician has treated the cloud base with smoke. At the signal, the pilot releases silver iodide into it to trigger rainfall. Science fiction? No – cloud seeding has been practised for decades in Morocco, as well as in around 50 countries worldwide, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.
