In brief
Iranian authorities are employing cloud seeding techniques over Urmia Lake to mitigate the dire impacts of a severe drought that is threatening water supplies across the country, including the capital, Tehran. Rainfall has dramatically decreased by 89% this year, with reservoirs nearly empty. As drought conditions worsen, the government has issued warnings about potential water rationing and penalties for excessive water consumption.
Authorities in Iran have sprayed clouds with chemicals to induce rain, in an attempt to combat the country's worst drought in decades.
Known as cloud-seeding, the process was conducted over the Urmia lake basin on Saturday, according to Iran's official news agency Irna.
Urmia is Iran's largest lake, but has largely dried out, leaving a vast salt bed. Further operations will be carried out in east and west Azerbaijan, the agency reported.
With rainfall at record lows and reservoirs nearly empty, President Masoud Pezeshkian warned last week that if there is not enough rainfall soon, Tehran's water supply could be rationed and residents may need to be evacuated from the capital.
Cloud seeding involves injecting chemical salts including silver or potassium iodide into clouds via aircraft or through ground generators. The technique has been used for decades, notably in the UAE to address water shortages.
Iran's meteorological organization noted a significant decline in rainfall—about 89% this year compared to the long-term average. They described the current autumn as the driest in 50 years.
Officials have also announced penalties for households and businesses that consume excessive amounts of water.
Ahmad Vazifeh, head of Iran's National Centre for Climate and Drought Crisis Management, stated that water levels in several dams are alarmingly low, in the single digits.
Last Friday, hundreds gathered at a mosque in Tehran to pray for rain as Iranian meteorologists reported minimal rainfall in the western regions, and there was even snowfall at a ski resort north of Tehran for the first time this year.
