Cyprus mulls cloud seeding as drought crisis deepens

Cyprus is facing a severe water shortage crisis with reservoir levels plummeting to 24% capacity, prompting authorities to consider alternative solutions like cloud seeding technology to combat drought conditions.

The island is experiencing significant impacts across agriculture and livestock sectors, which already face water rationing. Meanwhile, the tourism industry and residents grow increasingly concerned about potential water shortages.

Cloud seeding, a scientific method used in at least 38 countries globally including several in the Mediterranean region, could offer a solution by enhancing rainfall from existing clouds.

The process uses specialised aircraft to disperse sodium chloride, or salt, into water-bearing clouds. The results can be seen within 10 to 20 minutes, producing rain that is safe for human consumption.

The technology requires C-Band radar systems capable of identifying water-bearing clouds within a 200-kilometer radius. Meteorologists on the ground analyσe and map these clouds before dispatching aircraft to seed them with precise amounts of sodium to convert water vapor into rainfall.

A proposal submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture last July outlined implementation costs of approximately €9 million, covering two aircraft, two radar systems, six pilots, coordinators and meteorologists. Seven months later, the ministry reportedly declined the proposal.

If implemented, the cloud seeding operation would likely be based at Paphos Airport on the western coast to detect incoming clouds at the earliest possible stage, as clouds typically move eastward across the island.

Proponents argue the technology could increase rainfall by 10-30%, potentially filling Cyprus’s reservoirs within a single hydrological year while also reducing dust in the atmosphere and providing a natural firebreak for forests at high risk of wildfires during increasingly hot, dry summers.

The Department of Forests has warned in recent years about the growing danger of mega-fires that would be difficult to control due to prolonged drought conditions.