UAEREP to announce new projects at ADSW

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business

The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science will hold an award ceremony on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) to announce its Third Cycle awardees. The Program will also host its Second International Forum on Rain Enhancement Science that provides a platform for the exchange of ideas related to the development of innovative science and technology in this research area that is increasingly gaining significance.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, as part of ADSW’s International Water Summit, the exclusive ceremony will announce the Program’s latest awardees on the morning of 17 January at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
Set to run from 16 to 18 January, the Program’s Second International Forum will convene leading global specialists in climatology, meteorology and related areas to share insights on the most important recent research related to rain enhancement. Encouraging open and constructive discussion among participants, the event will also feature progress reports on promising advances achieved by ongoing projects currently being pursued by the Program’s existing awardees.
The forum will seek to build on the success of last year’s inaugural event in helping advance climate innovation.

Day one of the event will start with an overview of recent developments in the field by Dr Deon Terblanche, Director of the Atmospheric Research and Environment Department at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The session will be followed by a panel discussion themed ‘Innovations in Water Management and the Role of Rain Enhancement’ and presentations of research progress by the Program’s First and Second Cycle awardees.
The second and third days of the Forum will feature further discussions on existing projects, in addition to a special session at 2pm on 17 January that will see the Program’s Third Cycle awardees present their projects, inviting feedback from the participants. With its entire agenda open to the public, the Forum offers an unparalleled opportunity for the community to learn about the latest innovative research in rain enhancement science and hear the views of leading international experts specializing in this important scientific discipline.
His Excellency Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, Director of the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) that has managed the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science since 2015, said: “In the short period since its inception, the Program has gained significant international recognition for developing new creative approaches to enhancing global water security. In line with the UAE leadership’s vision of driving scientific innovation and progress, our program of events at ADSW demonstrates our commitment to fostering international scientific collaboration as the key to strengthening water sustainability in the UAE and beyond.”
Launched by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science is an internationally recognized initiative that offers a grant of US$5 million to be shared by up to five winning research proposals. Reflecting the Program’s stellar reputation among the global scientific community, the Third Cycle call for research proposals in 2017 led to 201 pre-proposal submissions from 710 scientists and researchers affiliated with 316 institutions from 68 countries.
Alya Al Mazroui, Director of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, said: “Our third awards ceremony and second international forum showcase the significant progress we have made in devising effective solutions to boost global water security through rain enhancement science. The Program has already had a major impact in bringing together leading international researchers committed to advancing knowledge in the field, and we look forward to stepping up our efforts in the future.”
The Program’s three First Cycle awardees are undertaking projects on the use of nanotechnology to accelerate water condensation, the potential of innovative algorithms to advance knowledge of cloud characteristics and precipitation, and land cover modification to enhance precipitation. Meanwhile, the Second Cycle awardees are researching ways of leveraging ice production processes in cumulus clouds, quantifying atmospheric aerosols in precipitation enhancement, and analyzing the electrical properties of clouds.