On May 16, 2026, a ceremonial launch of a project on artificial precipitation enhancement was held in the city of Turkestan. Kazakhstan has become the first country in the region to move toward the practical application of artificial rain technologies.

The project is aimed at increasing the filling levels of reservoirs and ensuring water supply for agricultural areas in the south of the country. Full-scale implementation will begin on May 17, 2026.

The technology is intended to reduce the effects of drought and water shortages for agricultural areas of the Turkestan Region, which has more than 911,000 hectares of arable land. The project is being implemented through international cooperation with the UAE National Center of Meteorology, which has many years of experience in weather modification and artificial precipitation enhancement technologies dating back to the late 1980s.

The ceremony was attended by Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, President of the World Meteorological Organization and Director General of the UAE National Center of Meteorology; Muhammad Saeed Muhammad Al Ariqi, Ambassador of the UAE to Kazakhstan; and Nuralkhan Kusherov, Akim of the Turkestan Region.

“Kazakhstan is taking a practical step toward forming a new system of climate resilience. For the first time in the region, a project of this scale is being launched in the field of artificial precipitation enhancement technologies. For us, this marks the beginning of the formation of modern climate infrastructure based on science, international partnership, and digital technologies. The project is being implemented jointly with leading global experts and creates a foundation for technology transfer and the training of Kazakhstani specialists,” noted Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.

According to international estimates, artificial rain enhancement technologies can increase precipitation by 10–20% compared to the natural background level. Similar technologies are actively used in China, the United States, the UAE, France, and Saudi Arabia.

The project is being implemented locally in areas with an increased need for water, primarily in agricultural territories. The selection of areas for the operations is carried out jointly with specialists from meteorological services and relevant government agencies, taking into account weather conditions, the environmental situation, and water supply needs. The technology has a localized impact, with a radius not exceeding 5 kilometers, and is not associated with the formation of large-scale weather events. Reagents based on salts, which are used in international practice for artificial precipitation enhancement, are applied during the operations.

It is expected that the implementation of the project will improve the efficiency of water supply for agricultural areas, reduce damage from drought, and support crop yield growth. The potential economic effect is estimated at up to KZT 35 billion per year.

As part of the cooperation, specialists from the UAE National Center of Meteorology are training specialists from the Turkestan Region in weather modification technologies, including meteorologists, pilots, engineers, and relevant sectoral specialists. The possibility of scaling the technology to other regions of Kazakhstan is also being considered, while laying a fundamental foundation for the development of Kazakhstan’s own climate technologies.

The project involves the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Akimat of the Turkestan Region, the Civil Aviation Committee, Kazaeronavigatsiya, and Kazhydromet.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-abudhabi/press/news/details/1221810?lang=kk