UAE’s ongoing record-breaking rain spell is the result of a combination of climate change and cloud-seeding, the country’s climate change minister said.
“This (non-stop rain) is a climate change phenomenon. Climate change is affecting the whole world. What we are seeing with rain is affecting the whole region. We saw snow in Saudi Arabia. And we have been affected little bit by that here in the country,” minister Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi said on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week that started in the Capital on Monday.
He underlined that cloud-seeding shouldn’t be singled out as the cause of rain, storm and floods as climate change has also played an equal role.
“It’s a mix of climate change and cloud-seeding which has led to rain. We are really proud of what we have achieved in the last five years. But it’s a natural thing. Capitalising nature and applying technology is something which we have managed to master here in the country.”
For him, non-stop rain is a joyous sight, one which is going to have a “huge positive impact” in the country.
Even as the temperature dipped to 1.6 degree Celsius in Ras Al Khaimah and more rain is expected across the country in the coming days, the minister advised residents to look at the larger picture and long-term benefits.
“Looking at the whole situation, we are really glad to have such a high volume of rain in the last few days. It’s one of the highest in the history. It’s going to have a huge positive impact on the ecosystem, greeneries, agriculture sector as well as underground reserves,” he said.
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