Despite negative assessments so far from foreign scientists, the Ministry of Agriculture is further examining the possibility of successfully implementing cloud seeding on the island to ensure reliable conclusions, with the Minister of Agriculture confirming that a related study is underway.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment is currently evaluating the potential pilot implementation of cloud seeding in Cyprus as a supplementary measure to improve the island’s water availability.
This was stated on Wednesday before members of the Parliamentary Environment Committee by the responsible minister, Maria Panayiotou, following a question from DISY MP Savvia Orphanidou. The MP asked why the Republic of Cyprus has not moved forward with this meteorological intervention, in which aircraft disperse special particles such as sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt, into suitable clouds to enhance natural rainfall.
According to Minister Panayiotou, despite a negative assessment received from scientists in Israel, who advised Cyprus not to invest in cloud seeding because evaluations in their country showed minimal results, the Ministry has decided to continue examining the feasibility of successfully applying such a programme on the island to ensure reliable conclusions.
Currently, there is no confirmed scientific evidence that cloud seeding would be effective in Cyprus. However, the minister assured the Environment Committee chairman, Charalambos Theopemptou, that the Ministry has already contacted a research programme on the topic.
Rain on land
The Ministry’s study is considering whether “success” for Cyprus would result, due to its island geography, in rainfall over the sea rather than on land, which is not desirable.
Minister Panayiotou shared that conditions favourable for successful cloud seeding vary from country to country, according to feedback from the United Arab Emirates and Israel. The study is assessing whether the insular nature of Cyprus could lead to rain falling over the sea instead of on land. She emphasised that the location of the seeding operation is one matter, while the location of rainfall is another. Cloud seeding is considered a supplementary water source rather than a primary solution.
Private sector interest
Many companies are eager to promote cloud seeding, which is understandable. However, the minister stressed that public funds must be used responsibly, and any implementation should produce measurable results.
The minister requested time to continue the study and confirmed that any emerging data indicating positive outcomes, even partially, will be shared publicly.
Cloud seeding has been used for decades in more than 60 countries. Currently, programmes run in 38 countries including the United States, China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Greece, Germany, France and Saudi Arabia, for purposes such as increasing rainfall and snowfall, suppressing hail, or both.