After experiencing the most severe drought in decades, which led to an acute shortage of drinking water, Iranian authorities have decided to begin a cloud-seeding campaign in an effort to generate rainfall.
The operation began over Lake Urmia, Iran’s largest lake, which has largely dried up and now exposes a massive salt bed.
According to IRNA, Iran’s official news agency, cloud seeding will continue in the coming days in additional regions across the country.
Iran’s water reservoirs have nearly emptied due to the recent months of drought, and President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that “if there is not sufficient rainfall soon, Tehran’s water supply could be restricted and people may be evacuated from the capital city.”
More than fifty days have passed since the start of Iran’s rainy season, and in over 20 provinces not a single drop of rain has fallen. Thirty-two dams across the country are currently at less than five percent capacity. Tehran has recorded only one millimeter of rainfall this year - an event described as “once in a century.”
“We are currently experiencing the driest autumn the country has seen in 50 years,” the Iranian Meteorological Organization announced.
Cloud seeding involves dispersing chemicals that accelerate ice-crystal formation - such as silver iodide - in an attempt to induce rainfall. In recent weeks, mass prayer gatherings have been held across Iran, with the populace praying for rain.