By John Ikani
Niger Republic has turned to rainmaking technology to help the West African nation combat drought-related problems.
The desert country is facing a food crisis occasioned by extended dry spells.
The head of the national meteorology institute, Katiellou Gaptia Lawan, told AFP news agency: “We had to do something about this drought.”
The “induced rain” technology involves using an aircraft to spray chemicals into clouds also known as cloud seeding.
Farming communities are the focus of the initiative.
It is worthwhile to note that cloud seeding is the process of artificially generating rain by implanting clouds with particles such as silver iodide crystals.
While many researchers are not specifically if cloud seeding poses a threat, some experts believe that it could lead to silver toxicity and environmental concerns if the practice becomes common on a much larger scale.
Similarly, people worry that cloud seeding could throw off earth’s natural balance of moisture.
