TURKESTAN, May 18. /Dunyo IA/. A ceremony marking the launch of a project aimed at artificially increasing precipitation was held in Turkestan, Kazakhstan, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing the international news agency Kazinform.

“This marks the beginning of the development of a modern climate infrastructure based on science, international partnership, and digital technologies, - said the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, Zhaslan Madiyev. - The project is being implemented jointly with leading global experts and lays the foundation for technology transfer and the training of Kazakh specialists”.

The project is designed to increase reservoir water levels and ensure water supply for agricultural areas in the southern regions of the country.

It is being implemented in cooperation with the UAE National Center of Meteorology, which has extensive experience in weather modification and artificial rainfall enhancement technologies dating back to the late 1980s.

The technology is also expected to help mitigate the effects of drought and water shortages affecting agricultural lands in the Turkestan region, which includes more than 911,000 hectares of arable land.

The project is being carried out locally in water-deficient areas using artificial precipitation enhancement technology operating within a radius of up to five kilometers and based on internationally applied salt reagents.

As emphasized by Kazinform, Kazakhstan has thus become the first country in Central Asia to move toward the practical application of artificial rain technologies.

According to international assessments, weather modification technologies are capable of increasing precipitation levels by 10–20 percent compared to natural conditions. Similar technologies are widely used in China, the United States, the UAE, France, and Saudi Arabia.

The project is expected to improve water supply efficiency for agricultural lands, reduce drought-related damage, and support higher crop yields. Its potential economic impact is estimated at up to 35 billion tenge annually (nearly USD 75 million).