Research Groups from Japan, UAE and Germany to Share UAE Rain Enhancement Program’s US$5 Million Grant for First Cycle

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, the winners of the inaugural cycle of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science were announced and honored tonight at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2016.

Research groups from Japan, UAE and Germany emerged as winners of the US$5 million grant awarded by the inaugural edition of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science.

The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science chose to honor projects that offered creative and path-breaking ideas on cloud forecasting and modification, modelling and the use of advanced cloud seeding agents. The program kick-started renewed scientific enquiry in the field of rain enhancement on a global scale by advancing the science, technology and implementation of rain enhancement, and increasing rainfall for water security in the UAE and other arid and semi-arid regions. Over the course of its cloud seeding operations, the program pursues four key objectives: enhancing the level of research and innovation in the field, advancing scientific understanding of rainfall augmentation, developing state-of-the-art techniques in rainfall enhancement practices and operations, and ultimately accelerating and further building capacity in the field both locally and globally.

The three prize-winning scientists leading the research teams that share this cycle’s grant of US$5 million include:

• Masataka Murakami, Visiting Professor from the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University (Japan), for his work on precipitation enhancement in arid and semi-arid regions. Professor Murakami's project focuses on innovative algorithms and sensors dedicated to identifying the clouds most suitable for seeding. Researchers from the Universities of Tokyo and the Japan Meteorological Agency also contributed to this research project.
• Linda Zou, Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering from the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (UAE), for her work on using nanotechnology to accelerate water condensation. Through her research, Prof. Zou explores the different ways of employing current knowledge of nanotechnology to develop cloud seeding materials and make rain droplet formation more efficient. Prof. Zou has received contribution to her work from the National University of Singapore and the University of Belgrade. 
• Volker Wulfmeyer, Managing Director, Professor, and Chair of Physics and Meteorology at the Institute of Physics and Meteorology in the University of Hohenheim (Germany), for his work on cloud seeding optimisation. Prof. Wulfmeyer's work aims to specifically study convergence zones and land cover modification to enhance precipitation.

Reflecting on the impact of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said: “The UAE has actively pursued a scientific and technological agenda, given the country’s sustained focus on innovation, high-level partnerships, and capacity-building. The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science is perfectly aligned with the National Innovation Strategy that we launched early last year.”

He added: “This world-class program offers a new window of opportunity for the UAE to make a real difference in the global quest for new options and solutions to water security issues. The program will help position our nation as an international hub for advanced research and innovation in this critical area of resource optimisation.”

Alya Al Mazroui, Program Manager of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, said: “The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science has completed a successful first year, and attracted research proposals from across the world. The contribution of the United Kingdom has been particularly significant, with its innovative approaches to rain enhancement research and a ground-breaking project submitted this year.”

She added: “We believe that further cooperation between the UAE and the UK can lead to promising outcomes in our common quest for water security. To this end, we would like to see even more proposals by British scientists and technologists in the second cycle, for the benefit of the people facing water security issues all around the globe.”

Launched by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs of the UAE in early 2015 and managed by the UAE National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science is an ambitious initiative of global scope designed to stimulate rain enhancement research. The program seeks to accelerate water security through international cooperation in scientific research and development in the field of rain enhancement.

Following its launch in January 2015, the program drew the participation of 325 scientists, affiliated to 151 organisations representing a diversified pool of governmental and non-governmental, private and public, domestic and foreign entities and individuals.

Registrations are currently open for the 2016 cycle at https://ilmt.co/PL/XdlA.