Iran turns to technology to combat drought

Iran has launched a rain-inducing operation amid record drought, Le Monde reports, citing the official IRNA news agency.

Cloud seeding is being conducted in the Lake Urmia basin in the northwest of the country, with similar operations planned for the East and West Azarbaijan provinces in the near future.

Lake Urmia, Iran's largest lake, has significantly shrunk in recent years. Particles, including silver iodide, are being sprayed into cloud formations to induce precipitation. Iran's National Meteorological Service reports that precipitation in 2024 is 89% below the long-term average, and some regions have not seen rain for several months.

According to local authorities, reservoir levels have reached historic lows, and Tehran's autumn rainfall was the lowest in a century. Earlier this month, President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that without rain until winter, the capital might have to evacuate its population.

Iranian authorities note that cloud seeding technology was developed in the country in 2024 and is aimed at mitigating the effects of extreme drought.

By Khagan Isayev