6th Edition of IREF; welcomes innovative research proposals for enhancing cloud formation and rain enhancement

Director of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, Alya Al Mazroui, while delivering her opening remarks during the 6th edition of the International Rain Enhancement Forum (IREF), made the announcement for researchers to submit for the Program’s 5th Cycle, which offers a grant of up to $1.5 Million (Dh5.511 million). This grant will be distributed over three years for each winning research proposal. The Forum welcomes innovative research proposals focusing on two high-priority areas: enhancing cloud formation and rain enhancement.

The grant will be distributed over three years for each winning research proposal. The total grant money awarded to the researchers would be $4.5 million. Leading experts, researchers, and scientists from across the world have gathered at a forum in Abu Dhabi to discuss the latest scientific and technological advances in rain enhancement research.

The International Rain Enhancement Forum (IREF), the first-of-its-kind event to tackle pressing water and sustainability issues worldwide, kicked off on Tuesday at Conrad Abu Dhabi at Etihad Towers.

Al Mazroui said: “Amid the participation of many distinguished scientists and researchers from top global research institutions, today we are announcing the call for submissions for the Program’s 5th Cycle to continue building on its impressive achievements and results. We are delighted with the program’s success in offering new theoretical and practical solutions that enabled many countries in the region and across the globe to develop dedicated rain enhancement programs to ensure sustainable alternatives to the groundwater supplies.”

Registration of proposals for the Program’s 5th Cycle is open till March 9, 2023, and pre-proposals should be submitted by March 16, 2023. Those invited to submit full proposals will be notified on May 26, 2023, and will be asked to send their full proposals by August 24, 2023.

The winning projects will be selected by a rigorous, two-stage merit review process and the awardees will be announced in January 2024. The awardees will receive a grant of up to $1.5 million, distributed over three years, with a maximum annual amount of $550K for each winning research proposal.

International Rain Enhancement Forum

Organised by the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), through the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP), the event, which runs until January 26, is structured around five strategic pillars including Collaborations, Innovation, Capacity Building, Artificial Intelligence and Applied Research.

In a keynote speech which was delivered by Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, the Director General of the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Court, said: “The UAE continues to deliver on its commitment to adopting innovation as a core component of its government, scientific and economic agenda in support of global environmental goals, particularly those related to climate change and water security.

“As our country prepares to host key decision and policy makers at 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28), we have recently launched several ambitious initiatives, programs and strategies that will reinforce the UAE’s status as one of the most active and committed countries to the principles of environmental sustainability.”

He added: "The relentless efforts of the scientific community to bolster water security and enhance the sustainability of water resources worldwide deserve everyone’s appreciation and recognition, in view of the growing challenges facing our environment, climate and scarce water resources, which top the priorities of global, regional and local agendas. Through this unique global forum dedicated to rain enhancement sciences, we reiterate our full support for the efforts of the scientific community to advance this promising field and provide a sustainable alternative to replenish the groundwater reserves in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide.”

Sheikh Mansour noted that the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science is a noteworthy example of the UAE's aspirations to become a global hub for advancing the global water security agenda, as evidenced by the achievements made by the program’s awardee projects over its past four cycles.