Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran

Tehran, Nov 17: Facing its worst drought in decades, Iranian authorities have turned to cloud-seeding, spraying chemicals into clouds over the Urmia Lake basin to induce rainfall. Further operations are planned in East and West Azerbaijan provinces.

Urmia, Iran’s largest lake, has largely dried up, leaving behind a vast salt bed. Rainfall across the country is at record lows, and reservoirs are nearly empty. President Masoud Pezeshkian recently warned that Tehran’s water supply may need rationing, and residents could be evacuated if precipitation does not improve soon.

Cloud seeding, a technique used globally for decades, involves injecting chemical salts such as silver iodide or potassium iodide into clouds to promote condensation and rainfall. The UAE has also employed the method in recent years to address water shortages.

Iran’s meteorological organisation reported an 89% decline in rainfall this year compared with the long-term average, describing the current autumn as “the driest the country has experienced in 50 years.” Officials have also announced plans to penalise households and businesses that overconsume water.

Ahmad Vazifeh, head of Iran’s National Centre for Climate and Drought Crisis Management, said dams in Tehran, West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, and Markazi provinces are in a “worrying state,” with water levels in single-digit percentages.

Meanwhile, hundreds gathered at a mosque in Tehran on Friday to pray for rain. Iranian meteorologists reported some rainfall on Saturday in the west and northwest, and video footage showed snowfall at a ski resort north of Tehran for the first time this year.