Can cloud seeding make the UAE's desert green?

Summary

The UAE is tackling water scarcity and desertification through innovative solutions like desert greening and cloud seeding. With less than 200 mm of annual rainfall, the UAE has invested in afforestation and technologies to increase groundwater and rainfall. The 'One Million Trees' initiative aimed to green the desert, though challenges like urban development hindered progress. Cloud seeding enhances rainfall, while careful landscape engineering helps sustain plant life. The UAE’s efforts mirror global initiatives to combat climate change, fostering healthier landscapes and promoting sustainable living in arid regions.

Takeaways

• 🌿 The UAE is actively working on desert greening, transforming desert areas into green spaces.
• 💧 By 2025, 1.8 billion people are expected to live with absolute water scarcity, making water conservation crucial for desert countries like the UAE.
• ☁️ The UAE has invested over $20 million in cloud seeding to enhance rainfall and improve groundwater storage.
• 🌍 The Middle East, home to 12 of the 17 most water-stressed countries, faces significant challenges in securing water for its population.
• 🌳 The UAE has a history of afforestation efforts, including the 'One Million Trees' initiative to combat desertification and create sustainable green spaces.
• 🏗️ The UAE's 'Green Agenda 2030' focuses on building a green economy, with efforts to enhance sustainability and reduce carbon emissions.
• 🚜 Land degradation and desertification are major global issues, with the UAE losing significant arable land between 2002 and 2018 due to environmental stress.
• ✈️ Cloud seeding in the UAE involves aircraft releasing salt flares into clouds to enhance rain, monitored by the National Center of Meteorology in Abu Dhabi.
• 🌾 The UAE is exploring various solutions to conserve water, including desalination and planting drought-resistant vegetation.
• 🌱 Greening landscapes not only improves environmental health but also benefits human well-being, contributing to better mental and physical health.

Q & A

What is desert greening, and why is it considered a valuable investment for the UAE?

Desert greening is the process of transforming arid desert areas into green, productive landscapes. It is considered a valuable investment for the UAE because it helps combat desertification, supports agriculture, and ensures long-term water security in a region with scarce water resources.

Why is water scarcity a major issue in the UAE, and what is the predicted impact by 2025?

Water scarcity is a major issue in the UAE because it receives less than 200 mm of rainfall annually. By 2025, the United Nations estimates that 1.8 billion people worldwide will face absolute water scarcity, putting desert countries like the UAE at a high risk of insufficient water supply for their populations and ecosystems.

What is cloud seeding, and how has the UAE utilized it?

Cloud seeding is a process that enhances rainfall by dispersing salt or other substances into clouds to stimulate precipitation. The UAE has invested over 20 million dollars in cloud seeding research to increase groundwater storage and combat water scarcity, performing around 1,000 hours of cloud seeding annually.

How does cloud seeding work according to the experts at the National Center of Meteorology in Abu Dhabi?

Cloud seeding involves sending aircraft to clouds with good updrafts. Salt flares are released under the cloud, where the salt helps droplets form and condense, eventually causing rain. The National Center of Meteorology monitors weather conditions using radar and satellites to coordinate these efforts.

What has been the UAE’s historical approach to afforestation, and how did it evolve?

The UAE has a long history of afforestation, or planting trees in arid areas. Efforts began decades ago, with initiatives like the 'One Million Trees' project to combat desertification. These efforts aimed to create groves of trees, such as olive, palm, and ghaf, to transform barren landscapes into green areas.

What challenges have hindered the UAE's afforestation projects, particularly the 'One Million Trees' initiative?

One significant challenge was the development of the 'Mall of the World' project, which led to the loss of land previously used for tree nurseries. Thousands of trees from the 'One Million Trees' initiative died due to the shift in land use, highlighting the difficulty of balancing urban development with environmental efforts.

What is the importance of engineering landscapes for tree survival in afforestation projects?

Engineering landscapes is critical for the survival of trees in desert environments. This includes digging holes to capture water and modifying the terrain to ensure that the introduced plants can survive with limited water resources, helping to sustain greenery in arid areas.

How does desert greening benefit the physical and mental well-being of people living in the UAE?

Desert greening improves the well-being of people by creating healthier landscapes, which positively impact mental health and air quality. Green spaces offer cleaner air and reduce the harmful effects of high temperatures, contributing to better physical and mental health for the population.

How does the UAE’s cloud seeding initiative compare to similar efforts in other countries, like China?

The UAE’s cloud seeding initiative is similar to China’s, where cloud seeding is used to protect farming areas and ensure clear skies for events. In China's Kubuqi Desert, efforts to green the desert have been successful, with a third of the desert now green, reducing the impact of desertification.

What are the potential economic impacts of climate-related water scarcity in the UAE and the Gulf region by 2050?

Climate-related water scarcity could significantly impact the economy of the UAE and the Gulf region, with the World Bank estimating a loss of up to 6% of GDP by 2050. This underscores the need for sustainable water management and desert greening efforts to ensure economic stability.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 UAE's Ambitious Desert Greening Efforts

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is undergoing a remarkable transformation, converting vast desert landscapes into areas of greenery. This process, known as 'desert greening,' is an intentional effort by the UAE to address its severe water scarcity issues. The country, receiving less than 200 mm of rainfall annually, has invested heavily in innovative solutions like cloud seeding to increase groundwater storage. Climate change and desertification pose major challenges, especially as the UAE is located in one of the most water-stressed regions globally. Despite losing significant amounts of land to degradation, the UAE has long pursued afforestation projects, planting trees to combat desertification. One notable project, the 'One Million Trees' initiative, aimed to introduce resilient tree species, but faced setbacks due to competing urban development projects like the Mall of the World.

05:00

🌍 Global Efforts and Technologies for Desert Greening

The UAE is not alone in its mission to green the desert. Other countries, like China, have also pursued similar initiatives. In China’s Kubuqi Desert, efforts to build solar farms and other green technologies have helped prevent the spread of desertification. The UAE continues its cloud-seeding operations, with a focus on enhancing rainfall to support agriculture and greenery. These operations are monitored closely from the National Center of Meteorology in Abu Dhabi, where weather stations provide crucial data on cloud activity and rainfall. The UAE’s greening projects, coupled with desalination and water-saving techniques, contribute not only to a more sustainable environment but also to the physical and mental well-being of its population. As temperatures continue to rise in the region, the need for innovative solutions to maintain life in the desert is more urgent than ever.

Keywords

💡Desert Greening

Desert greening refers to the process of transforming arid, desert landscapes into fertile, green areas through human intervention. In the video, this concept is at the heart of the UAE's efforts to counteract desertification, making the desert more habitable and productive. It involves techniques like afforestation and cloud seeding to increase greenery in regions that would otherwise be inhospitable.

💡Cloud Seeding

Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique used to stimulate rainfall by dispersing substances like salt into clouds. In the video, the UAE government invests heavily in cloud seeding to combat water scarcity by enhancing rainfall, which is crucial for supporting both agriculture and urban development in the desert environment. The process involves planes releasing these substances into clouds, causing the droplets to condense and fall as rain.

💡Water Scarcity

Water scarcity is the lack of sufficient water resources to meet the demands of a population. The video highlights how the UAE, one of the world's most water-stressed countries, faces significant challenges due to limited rainfall and climate change. The UAE’s strategies, like cloud seeding and desalination, aim to mitigate the impact of water scarcity and ensure a stable water supply for its growing population.

💡Afforestation

Afforestation is the process of planting trees in areas that have not previously been forested. In the UAE, afforestation has been a key part of efforts to combat desertification, as seen in projects like the 'One Million Trees' initiative. By planting trees like ghafs and palms, the government aims to create more sustainable landscapes in an otherwise arid environment.

💡Desertification

Desertification refers to the degradation of land in arid and semi-arid areas, making it less productive and unable to support plant life. The video explains how the UAE has lost significant areas of arable land due to desertification, which threatens both the environment and the livelihood of its people. Projects like desert greening and afforestation are direct responses to combat this phenomenon.

💡Green Economy

A green economy is an economic system aimed at reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities, focusing on sustainable development. In 2015, the UAE introduced the 'Green Agenda for 2030,' which aims to build a more environmentally conscious economy by investing in projects that promote sustainability, such as afforestation and water conservation.

💡National Tree of UAE

The Ghaf tree is the national tree of the UAE, known for its resilience in arid environments. In the video, it is mentioned as one of the species planted in afforestation efforts. Its ability to survive with minimal water makes it a symbol of sustainability in the UAE's fight against desertification and land degradation.

💡Desalination

Desalination is the process of removing salt from seawater to make it suitable for human consumption and agriculture. The UAE relies heavily on desalination as one of its primary methods to address water scarcity, given its limited rainfall. The video touches on how desalination is part of a broader strategy to secure the nation's water needs.

💡One Million Trees Initiative

The 'One Million Trees' initiative was launched to plant one million trees across the UAE, with the goal of increasing greenery and combating desertification. In the video, the project is highlighted as an important effort, though it faced setbacks when land designated for tree nurseries was repurposed for development. Despite these challenges, the initiative underscores the UAE's long-term commitment to environmental sustainability.

💡Water Stress

Water stress refers to the difficulty of accessing sufficient water due to scarcity. The video identifies the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries as among the most water-stressed nations in the world, largely due to their arid climates and increasing demand for water. The video discusses how the UAE's investments in cloud seeding, desalination, and sustainable agriculture aim to alleviate this water stress.

Highlights

Desert greening in the UAE is a transformative project designed to turn arid desert regions into green areas.

The United Nations estimated that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living with absolute water scarcity, highlighting the importance of water management in desert countries like the UAE.

The UAE receives less than 200 mm of rainfall annually, making it one of the most water-stressed nations in the world.

Cloud seeding has become a critical initiative for the UAE, enhancing rainfall and increasing groundwater storage, initiated in the early 2000s.

The UAE's afforestation efforts, such as the 'One Million Trees' initiative, aimed to combat desertification and improve environmental sustainability.

Approximately 80% of the UAE’s land is desert, making greening efforts crucial for the nation's development and fight against land degradation.

From 2002 to 2018, the UAE lost nearly 33,000 hectares of arable land due to desertification, a problem faced by many desert nations globally.

The UAE is not alone in its desert greening mission. China’s Kubuqi desert project, involving afforestation and renewable energy, has turned one-third of the desert green.

The UAE performs around 1,000 hours of cloud seeding per year, with a goal of increasing rainfall and supporting agriculture in the desert.

The 'One Million Trees' initiative was disrupted by the construction plans for the 'Mall of the World,' leading to the loss of thousands of trees.

The UAE’s Green Agenda 2030 was approved to build a green economy, with a strong focus on environmental sustainability and afforestation.

Cloud seeding involves releasing salt flares into clouds to enhance condensation, making raindrops heavier and promoting rainfall.

The UAE uses desalination, cloud seeding, and water-efficient plantation techniques to manage its limited water resources.

Planting trees and greening landscapes not only improves the environment but also benefits the physical and mental health of the population.

Climate-related water scarcity could cost the UAE and other Gulf countries up to 6% of their GDP by 2050, emphasizing the urgency of sustainable water solutions.

Transcripts

In the sprawling deserts of the United Arab Emirates, there are huge areas of greenery

emerging amidst the golden sands.

This transformation is not some natural phenomenon, it’s by design.

It’s called desert greening and, for all the UAE’s opulence,

this may be its most valuable investment yet.

The United Nations estimated that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living with

absolute water scarcity.

If you don't have water for people, animals, plant communities,

as a nation, you will really struggle.

Especially in desert countries increasingly lack of water due to climate change

is resulting in less secure water.

And the Middle East is home to 12 of the 17 world’s most “water stressed countries.”

The UAE receives less than 200 mm of rainfall each year.

To put that into context, London soaked up an average of 1,051 mm of rain in 2022,

while Singapore drenched in a whopping 3,012 mm during the same year.

So, as one can imagine, ensuring enough water for the UAE’s population is a real challenge.

To continue to support its increasing development and growing population, the UAE government

invested more than 20 million dollars in research to start a process called cloud seeding.

Cloud seeding enhances the rain in the cloud.

The main objective of that to increase the storage of groundwater.

It was a direct order from His Highness Sheikh Mansour.

When did this start?

It was in late 2000 and early 2001.

We were partnered with the National Atmospheric Research in the U.S.

The entire Gulf region could face a 50 percent reduction in water availability per capita by 2050.

The UAE has tried to combat desertification, which is land that is no longer productive

because it can't support plant growth.

The Emirate spans over 83,000 square kilometres, and around 80% is desert.

It’s estimated that 75% of our planet's land is already degraded.

These lands have become deserts or are uninhabitable.

About 12 million hectares of land is lost around the world each year

as a direct consequence of drought and desertification.

The World Bank estimates the Emirates has lost

almost 33,000 hectares of land from 2002 to 2018.

The decrease in arable land is primarily due to land degradation.

This impacts over 3 billion people.

And people that live in desert and dry land ecosystems that cover nearly half of the globe,

are particularly vulnerable to the loss of arable land and land degradation.

But in the last 50 years, what was once a large desert and a tranquil fishing port

has evolved into an urban metropolis.

Long before the skyscrapers and bustling cities, the UAE had a history of planting trees

in areas that lacked them, a process called afforestation.

So what we're seeing across the world, especially some of the countries that

have significant desert systems is efforts to green that desert, which means

bringing in trees, other plant communities to increase, as the initiatives say,

the greenness of the deserts.

Take a look at these satellite images of the UAE in the 1980s, and present day.

The country’s late president sought to provide permanent homes for nomadic Bedouins

in the parched desert.

His dream set the stage for a nation's ambitious endeavour and their leaders knew that trees

could help with the fight against desertification.

About two decades ago, the “One Million Trees” initiative was announced by the ruler of Dubai.

The plan was to plant 250 thousand trees every year, in collaboration with the Dubai Police Academy.

It wasn’t long before groves of olive, palms, and the resilient ghafs,

the national tree of the UAE, painted the once-empty land with life.

When you are planting some of those trees, you can dig different holes to capture water

and engineer the landscape so those trees that you're bringing in will be able to survive.

And so that's critically important is that it's not only the types of trees that you're bringing in,

or in the types of plants you're bringing in for these afforestation projects,

but also how you engineer that landscape to be able to receive those plants

and that they are able to survive.

A tree nursery for the “One Million Trees” initiative was created, spanning more than 130,000 square meters.

But challenges loomed large over green dreams.

Behold: 'Mall of the World,' a mega shopping center project.

It was said that Dubai Holding, the investment vehicle of the Emirates ruler,

would require 6.8 billion dollars to build that entertainment district.

Could you guess where they wanted to build this mega project?

None other than the very land the tree nursery once thrived.

And just like that, the project fell through, and thousands of trees withered away and died.

But in January 2015, the UAE Cabinet approved the UAE Green Agenda for 2030,

aimed at building a green economy.

Plants are this miracle worker in terms of pulling carbon dioxide.

So you see a lot of engineering approaches to think about how we pull greenhouse gases

out of the atmosphere, but plants by themselves are one of the best tools that we have.

The UAE is not alone in its quest to green the desert.

Other countries like China have followed the same path, as seen in a desert called Kubuqi

in the country’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

In 1988, a Chinese company partnered with the Beijing government to build solar farms

and other renewable energy projects.

Three decades later and one third of Kubuqi is green, preventing dunes from encroaching on farms.

The United Nations Environment Programme estimated the Kubuqi project cost 1.8 billion dollars over 50 years.

Beijing is a proponent of cloud-seeding technology.

They used it to manipulate weather to protect farming areas and to guarantee clear skies for key events.

The UAE performs around 1,000 hours of cloud seeding to enhance rainfall in just one year.

And it’s all controlled out of this building, the National Center of Meteorology in Abu Dhabi,

where they track the whole process.

We met with a cloud seeding expert to explain how the seeding process works.

We wait for the forecast when we have a good chance for clouds, we send the aircrafts to that location.

It goes under the cloud, in the first stage of the cloud there is good updraft at that time, it can release all

the salt and, with a good updraft, it goes inside the cloud and start to

condensate and the droplets become bigger and start to rain.

The centre manufactures a salt substance that helps enhance rainfall.

They put them in what they call “flares.”

We also spoke to one of the weather forecasters.

He explains how the operations work.

We alert our pilots and tell them when to be at the airports.

So, as expected, we wait for the clouds to appear on the radar.

We have our pilots talking to us.

Le me know if there's any updrafts in your area.

This is a sample plane here at the National Center of Meteorology,

but the real planes fly out from the runways in Al Ain.

We have around 110 weather stations.

It gives us metrological data every 15 minutes.

The information on the screens tracks wind, speed and direction, while satellite imagery

monitors clouds to track fog and dust.

Anything passing above the country we will see it from the satellite,

especially the clouds.

And this is the map of the UAE.

But is the UAE seeing results from their efforts over the years

to create a greener country?

So we have different ways of either increasing the water or saving the water.

We have desalination, we have using plantation that doesn't take much water.

There are many ways. One of the ways cloud seeding.

Is there any success in terms of more greenery around the UAE because of cloud seeding efforts?

So the UAE is expanding on the agriculture and also we were expending too much before.

We have to do a plantation with the study. Plantation costs a lot of water.

We can control this water and not to use it as a waste.

According to the World Bank, climate-related water scarcity

will cost the region up to 6% of their GDP by 2050.

As we green landscapes, this results in healthier people, not only healthier landscapes.

Greening landscapes impacts the wellbeing, the mental health of people,

the physical health of people in terms of the air that they're breathing.

In a region expected to be most impacted by warming temperatures, the time has never been

more important than now to find alternate ways of maintaining life in the desert.