TEHRAN, Iran: Iran has started cloud seeding operations in an urgent attempt to trigger rainfall as the country confronts one of its worst droughts in decades, state media reported.
State news agency IRNA said the first cloud seeding flight of the current water year, which began in September, was carried out on Saturday over the Urmia Lake basin in the northwest.
Once Iran’s largest lake, Urmia has largely dried up and turned into a vast salt bed after years of drought and poor water management.
Authorities plan further operations in East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan provinces.
Severe decline in rainfall
IRNA quoted the national meteorological organisation as saying that rainfall has fallen by about 89 percent this year compared with the long-term average. It warned that Iran is experiencing the driest autumn in 50 years.
Rainfall has been recorded in a few western provinces, including Ilam, Kermanshah, Kurdistan and Lorestan, as well as parts of West Azerbaijan.
State media also broadcast images of the first snowfall of the season on the Tochal mountain and ski resort in the Alborz range near Tehran.
Local officials say precipitation in the capital Tehran is at its lowest level in a century. Half of Iran’s provinces have seen no rainfall for months.
Water crisis deepens
Reservoirs supplying several regions have dropped to record lows. Earlier this month, President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that without rain before winter, authorities may have to consider evacuating parts of Tehran. He gave no further details.
Iran, a largely arid country, has long faced recurring dry spells and heat waves. Experts say these conditions are expected to worsen due to climate change.
Cloud seeding involves dispersing particles such as silver iodide or salt into clouds from aircraft to encourage rainfall. Iran announced last year that it had developed its own technology for the practice.
