A project for artificial rainfall is being implemented in the Turkestan Region to increase the filling level of reservoirs and provide water for agricultural areas. Full-scale launch is scheduled for 17 May 2026.
HOW KAZAKHSTAN IS IMPLEMENTING ARTIFICIAL RAIN TECHNOLOGY
The issue of implementing artificial rainfall technology was discussed at a meeting between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the president of the UN World Meteorological Organization, Director-General of the UAE National Centre of Meteorology, Abdulla Al Mandous.
The project in the Turkestan Region is being implemented jointly with the UAE National Centre of Meteorology. Its goal is to increase the filling level of reservoirs and provide water resources for the region's agricultural areas.
WHY THE WATER SECURITY ISSUE HAS BECOME KEY
During the talks, the parties paid particular attention to climate agenda and water security issues. The President noted the importance of developing early warning systems, modernising meteorological infrastructure, and expanding the exchange of scientific data.
The relevance of water resource management at regional and global levels was also emphasised. In this context, Kazakhstan's initiative to create an International Water Organisation under the auspices of the UN was mentioned.
It is reported that Kazakhstan has become the first country in the region to move to the practical application of artificial rain technologies.
WHY THE TOPIC OF ARTIFICIAL RAIN IS CONTROVERSIAL
In 2022, founder of the FBPC, Kirill Pavlov, published an investigation on his YouTube channel about the operation of rain-making installations in the Mangystau Region.
In the video, he studied installations which, according to the project authors, were supposed to increase precipitation by 30%. The cost of such installations was estimated from €5 to €10 million.
Pavlov visited the region to verify how the project works and whether such expenditure was justified. Following the investigation, he stated that he saw no evidence of the effectiveness of such technologies. In his opinion, similar projects could be used for the commercial interests of certain individuals.
WHAT OFFICIALS SAID ABOUT SUCH TECHNOLOGIES
In 2024, the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Erlan Nysanbayev, commented on the activities of Altai Ainabek, known as the 'Rain Man', who claimed the possibility of artificially inducing rainfall to restore the Aral Sea.
The Minister then stated that the approach had no evidence of real-world application. According to him, on days when rainfall was claimed to have been induced, precipitation was already forecast by 'Kazhydromet'. Nysanbayev also noted that such approaches had been studied before, but they had no proven effectiveness.