Kazakhstan launches artificial rain project in Turkestan Region

A project aimed at artificially increasing precipitation has been launched in the Turkestan Region. The initiative is designed to improve reservoir replenishment levels and provide water resources for agricultural territories in southern Kazakhstan. The potential economic impact of the project is estimated at up to 35 billion tenge annually, according to the press service of the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.

According to the ministry, the technology is intended to reduce the effects of drought and water shortages for agricultural lands in the Turkestan Region, which cover more than 911 thousand hectares of arable land. The project is being implemented in cooperation with the UAE National Center of Meteorology, which has been working in the field of weather modification and artificial precipitation enhancement technologies since the late 1980s.

“Kazakhstan is taking a practical step toward creating a new climate resilience system. For the first time in the region, a project of this scale in the field of artificial precipitation enhancement technologies is being launched. For us, this marks the beginning of building a modern climate infrastructure based on science, international partnership, and digital technologies. The project is being implemented jointly with leading global experts and creates the foundation for technology transfer and the training of Kazakh specialists,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev during the launch ceremony.

According to international assessments, artificial rain technologies can increase precipitation levels by 10–20% compared to natural conditions. Similar technologies are actively used in China, the United States, the UAE, France, and Saudi Arabia.

The project is being implemented locally in areas with the highest demand for water, primarily agricultural territories. The selection of operational zones is carried out jointly with meteorological services and relevant government agencies, taking into account weather conditions, environmental factors, and water supply needs. The technology has a localized impact radius of no more than 5 kilometers and is not associated with the formation of large-scale weather events. Salt-based reagents commonly used in international precipitation enhancement practices are employed for the operations.

As part of the cooperation, specialists from the UAE National Center of Meteorology are training personnel in the Turkestan Region in weather modification technologies, including meteorologists, pilots, engineers, and industry specialists. The possibility of expanding the technology to other regions of Kazakhstan and creating a domestic climate technology base is also under consideration.