Leading event in scientific field to provide platform for the presentation and discussion of latest global research to help boost water security globally

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 17 December 2017 –  The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science is set to host the Second International Forum on Rain Enhancement Science during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) in January 2018. 

Scheduled to be held over three days from January 16 to 18, the forum will provide a platform for discussion on the newly awarded research projects from the Program’s Third Cycle as well as updates on breakthroughs made by the First and Second Cycle research teams. Last year’s event was a notable success in facilitating the exchange of ideas on the latest research and potential innovations in a promising field that that is aiding the quest for global water security.

His Excellency Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, Director of the National Center of Meteorology (NCM), said: “We are proud to host the Second International Forum on Rain Enhancement Science as a means of facilitating international cooperation in this important field. This event demonstrates how our Program is succeeding in attracting significant participation from the leading international experts dedicated to boosting water security for vulnerable populations around the world. Through its commitment and advocacy, the UAE is leading global efforts to tackle this urgent challenge.”

Open to policy makers, scientists and stakeholders attending ADSW, the forum offers an excellent opportunity for participants to learn about the exciting and innovative work currently being carried out in the fast-growing field of rain enhancement science.

Alya Mazroui, Director of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, said: “This International forum will allow participants to discuss the new science and technologies urgently needed as we work to tackle the challenge of water stress. Our agenda includes three days of discussions that will give us an excellent opportunity to assess the newly-awarded research projects from UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science’s Third Cycle while also allowing us to showcase updates on the research projects awarded during the First and Second Cycles of the Program.”

Dr Deon Terblanche, Director of Research at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), said: “As a specialized agency of the United Nations, the WMO fosters collaborative study and monitoring of the earth’s atmosphere, the interaction of climate with land and oceans, and the consequences these processes have for the world’s water resources. With the science of rain enhancement attracting growing interest globally, this forum performs an invaluable function in bringing together leading experts to discuss some of the most fascinating new studies being carried out with the support of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science.”

Since it was launched under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science has established itself as a leading international focal point for cutting-edge scientific advances based on the analysis and the implementation of new technologies to weather and clouds. 

The First Cycle’s winning awardees, based in UAE, Japan and Germany, are already carrying out ground-breaking work on innovative algorithms, nanotechnology to accelerate water condensation and land cover modification to enhance precipitation. They were joined in 2017 by the Program’s Second Cycle awardees, featuring leading researchers from the US, Finland and UK working respectively on ice production processes in cumulus clouds, the quantification of the role of atmospheric aerosols in precipitation enhancement, and an investigation of the electrical properties of clouds and their potential for modification.

Managed by the NCM, the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science is an international initiative offering a grant of US$5 million to be shared by up to five winning research proposals. Reflecting the Program’s outstanding success to date, 2017’s Third Cycle call for research proposals led to 201 submissions from 710 scientists and researchers affiliated to 316 institutions spread across 68 countries on five continents, an increase in submissions by 121%.

Since the Program was launched in January 2015, an ambitious international outreach campaign has engaged with 1,220 researchers and 520 institutions from more than 50 countries. Key global institutions engaged by NCM through international roadshows include NASA, JAXA, the European Commission, the US Congress, and the United Nations, Harvard or Princeton. 

In addition, UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science has also built enduring links with numerous governmental and private research institutions in countries ranging from the United States to the UK and Germany in Europe to Thailand, China and Japan in East Asia. The Program’s globally acclaimed success has confirmed the status of Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a pioneer in this scientific field and a hub for an internationally recognized research network facilitating the active knowledge transfers needed to ensure sustainable development and economic growth in those regions of the world vulnerable to water stress.