Staff Reporter
Windhoek-The Ministry of Environment and Tourism programme to explore possible ways of artificial rainfall enhancement (cloud seeding) is still on hold until sufficient financial resources have been mobilised.
Prevailing poor rainfall experienced in Namibia due to climate change has prompted the environment and tourism ministry to investigate the possibility of applying cloud-seeding technology to improve rainfall.
The ministry entered an agreement with Cuba in 2015 to explore this programme to address water scarcity and food security in the country.
A total of N$3.4 million is required to implement the project but the ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said the amount might change due to inflation and if they start they will need to review the figure.
Muyunda said based on the general information gathered by the Cuban experts during their visit to Namibia, they were expected to develop a brief feasibility study, which included recommendations of actions to begin a cloud-seeding programme last year.
Cuban climatology experts from the meteorological institute of Cuba were dispatched to Namibia in September 2016 to carry out a preliminary feasibility study on the possible application of cloud seeding.
He said upon the experts’ arrival in Namibia, several consultations with key institutions at local, regional and national level were held and a detailed programme of objectives and methodological aspects relating to the possible application of cloud seeding were presented and discussed.
Muyunda added that at national level, consultations were held with the national climate change committee comprising line ministries, including ministries of environment, agriculture, finance, international relations, energy, works and transport, and the National Planning Commission, Environmental Investment Fund, the University of Namibia, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Gobabeb research centre, among others.
“National experts provided necessary information on issues such as cloudiness ad rainfall trends in several regions of Namibia. A tour visit was undertaken to the central, coastal and northern parts of the country that included Otjozondjupa, Kavango East, and West, Oshikoto, Oshana, Omusati and Erongo regions,” he said.