The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) is set to host a special ceremony on Thursday, 13 January, 2022 at Expo 2020 Dubai under patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, to reveal the winners of the fourth cycle grant of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science.
Commenting on the announcement, His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, Director General of NCM and President of the Regional Association II (Asia) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said: “The decision to hold the fourth cycle award ceremony of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science at an important global event such as Expo 2020 Dubai reaffirms the importance and the prominent status the program has earned over its past three cycles.”
He added: “Through attracting and supporting innovative ideas and technologies in rain enhancement science, the program has achieved several remarkable milestones over the past few years. The solutions developed have proven to be highly relevant and applicable to areas facing the growing risk of water scarcity. Such efforts articulate the progressive vision the UAE’s wise leadership to drive scientific innovation and technological advancement, while supporting the global quest for water sustainability through implementing scientifically-viable solutions.”
In November 2021, NCM announced that it had identified the qualified research projects for the program’s fourth cycle grant following the meeting of the technical review committee that convened virtually to evaluate the full proposals that reached the final stage of evaluation.
During the month-long evaluation phase, the committee reviewed eight full-proposals submitted by 51 researchers, scientists and experts affiliated with 26 institutions in nine countries. The evaluation was based on five-point criteria: Overall scientific & technical merit, significance and innovation; the qualification of the proposer (researcher and research team) to conduct the project; research methodology; how capacity building is integrated within the research plan; and resources and budget.
For her part, Alya Al Mazroui, Director of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP), said: “The fourth cycle award ceremony culminates the significant progress we have achieved over the past years in developing effective solutions to address global water stress through conducting advanced rain enhancement research. There is no better venue to host this event than Expo 2020 Dubai as it offers us a perfect platform to showcase our ground-breaking innovations to ensure global water security as water is an indispensable natural resource for human lives.”
Al Mazrouei added: “The program has played an instrumental role in enhancing the UAE’s reputation as a global hub for rain enhancement research through joining hands with top international scientists committed to advancing rain enhancement research. We will continue to work together with the awardees of the past cycles to achieve our mission, and are confident that the fourth cycle awardee projects will contribute to breaking new grounds in rain enhancement research, locally, regionally and internationally.
The fourth cycle of the UAE’s pioneering rain enhancement program is currently underway and offers a US$1.5 million grant for each winning research proposal, distributed over three years. The grant will enable these projects to move from theory to practice, provided that the winning projects shall start implementation within two months after the announcement of fourth cycle awardees.
The success of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science articulates the UAE’s pioneering position in this growing scientific field. The program has become a focal point for facilitating global research collaboration and knowledge transfer to ensure sustainable water resources for countries at risk of water scarcity.
