Kazakhstan taps UAE tech to trigger artificial rain

Kazakhstan has officially launched a project aimed at inducing artificial rainfall, becoming the first country in Central Asia to begin the practical application of rainfall enhancement technologies, according to the Ministry of AI and Digital Development.

Read also: Why Tajikistan’s 1,300 lost glaciers matter to 80 million people.

The project is intended to increase reservoir water levels and improve water supplies for agricultural regions in southern Kazakhstan. Full-scale implementation reportedly began May 17, 2026.

Project developed with UAE meteorological center

The initiative is being carried out in cooperation with the UAE’s National Center of Meteorology, which has worked on weather modification and rainfall enhancement technologies since the late 1980s.

According to the ministry, the technology has a localized effect with a range of no more than 5 kilometers and is not linked to the creation of large-scale weather events. The process uses salt-based reagents commonly employed in rainfall enhancement projects worldwide.

Technology already used in several countries

According to international estimates, rainfall enhancement technologies can increase precipitation levels by 10% to 20% compared with natural conditions.

Similar technologies are already used in China, the U.S., the UAE, France and Saudi Arabia.