Can we engineer rain to help solve climate change?

From the Aztecs to the Zoroastrians, humans have always prayed
for rain. We’ve tried dances, ritual sacrifices and even blowing
up the sky to boost rainfall. This might sound crazy but
desperate times call for desperate measures.


Climate change is making people desperate again, in some regions
droughts are becoming more frequent and pervasive whereas in
others floods threaten livelihoods and cities. We have already
affected our weather cycle but can we control it? Many
governments have turned to cloud seeding programmes to try to
manipulate rain to fall where they desire it to. But does it
actually work, and what are the potential ramifications? We speak
to experts about how people are trying to create rain, whether
we’re on the brink of a geopolitical nightmare.


Presenters Graihagh Jackson and Neal Razzell spoke to: Cynthia
Barnett, Environmental Journalist and author of ‘Rain: a Natural
and Cultural History’ Dr Katja Friedrich, Professor of
Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
Dr Dhanasree Jayaram, Assistant Professor at the Department of
Geopolitics and International Relations, Manipal Academy of
Higher Education. The team this week: Reporter: Valdya Baraputri,
Bilingual Reporter BBC Indonesia, reporting in Jakarta
Researcher: Imogen Serwotka Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series
Producer: Jordan Dunbar Production Coordinators: Helena
Warwick-Cross & Siobhan Reed Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Sound Wizard: Tom Brignell