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Malaysia makes it rain by seeding clouds to boost supplies, ease El Nino impact: ‘we will face a water crisis’
- The ultimate aim is to mitigate receding water levels in two dams in the island state of Penang, a key location for Malaysia’s semiconductor industry
- Experts say a warm, dry El Nino year is ‘already fully in place’ and everyone in society must conserve water. ‘We have to be prepared for the worst’
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Malaysia’s government has pinned its hopes on cloud seeding to top up two vital dams and ease the impact of the world’s first El Nino – a climate pattern that creates warm, dry conditions across the region – in four years.
As the onset of the periodic weather phenomenon threatens to dry up reserves, Malaysia’s federal administration has been pushing for closer cooperation with state governments to manage potential water shortages across the country.
El Nino, a regular phenomenon that is being exacerbated by climate change, lower rainfall and increased water consumption, began hitting Malaysia this month and is expected to intensify by November.
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It may extend into April next year, Environment Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad told parliament recently, warning of a 20-40 per cent reduction in rainfall by the end of the year and temperatures that are expected to rise by between 0.5 and 1 degree Celsius (o.9-1.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
02:50
El Nino is here, and it’s quite worrying, according to climate scientists
El Nino is here, and it’s quite worrying, according to climate scientists
Some in the government do not want to risk waiting until November before taking action. On Monday, the National Disaster Management Agency launched a two-day cloud-seeding operation in the Malaysian Peninsula’s northern region, modifying clouds to increase the chance of rain by adding small, icelike particles to them.
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