In the face of the serious situation and lack of resources, for decades Morocco has been implementing various water management plans. Among them is cloud seeding, a program that, although not new, Morocco aims to enhance to increase precipitation.
Specifically, the government of Morocco has been allocating nearly 10 million euros since 2023 to encourage cloud seeding with the aim of generating artificial rain and somewhat alleviating the structural drought affecting the state.
As part of the national plan to combat water scarcity, Morocco is developing a total of 20 cloud seeding projects. The goal is to increase precipitation in specific areas of the country by up to 15%.
However, the status of these 20 cloud seeding projects is still not known for sure, and the set objectives are only estimates.
However, it should be noted that cloud seeding is not something innovative, as it has been practiced for several decades with diverse results. Since the 1980s, Morocco has been researching different methods to increase water supplies through climate modification, also known as climate geoengineering.
On the other hand, some experts detail that cloud seeding can increase precipitation by up to 4% and, consequently, increase agricultural yields by up to 20%.
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The launch of these projects has generated suspicion in the region, especially in nearby areas such as southern Spain and, notably, in Ceuta and Melilla.
Change the climate and the weather artificially can have unpredictable consequences for the entire region. On one hand, heavy rains in places where the geography and environment are not accustomed to rain can generate floods and runoff, deteriorating and increasing soil erosion.
Moreover, cloud seeding can alter the relative humidity of the atmosphere. This situation could lead to droughts in unexpected areas or intense rains, due to the fact that the consequences of climate geoengineering are currently unpredictable.
In fact, climate change can lead to an increase in extreme weather events, such as storms, lightning, hail, and even tornadoes, according to some experts.
Finally, the possible geopolitical conflict that could arise between the affected states, such as Spain and Morocco, due to the alteration of environmental conditions by the decision of a single country must be considered.
Image source: Pixabay
Furthermore, according to a UN report published after the Climate Summit COP28 in 2023, climate geoengineering "could trigger a series of chain reactions with significant risks for humans, the oceans, global temperatures, and biodiversity."
«Climate engineering presents risks, both in terms of its interaction with the climate and its potential to increase existing risks and generate new ones. Before continuing with the development of these new technologies, it is necessary to fully understand what their effects and ethical implications are. Any debate on climate engineering must have a simultaneous ethical and political dimension, reflecting the opposing interests of various regions and communities,» detailed Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem, chair of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology of UNESCO (COMEST).