7th International Rain Enhancement Forum Begins In Abu Dhabi With High-Level Participation

The 7th International Rain Enhancement Forum (IREF) began on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is the Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court.

Day one of the event included engaging panel discussions and interactive presentations, covering key topics related to rain enhancement. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs, also attended the event, WAM reported.

The first day of the event celebrated the 10th anniversary of UAEREP, showcasing its progress as a global leader in scientific research and innovation. Experts discussed water security at both regional and global levels, along with advancements in weather modification, rain enhancement, and related technologies.

A major focus was the role of Artificial Intelligence in weather modification, with high-level panels featuring experts and decision-makers from the UAE and beyond. The panels reflected on UAEREP's impact, emphasizing how strategic investments have advanced rainfall enhancement and supporting the UAE's efforts in scientific research, climate action, and water security.

The first high-level session, "Regional and Global Perspectives on Water Security," discussed the impact of climate change on water availability, quality, and distribution.

The session explored rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and the need for sustainable water management strategies. Key topics included climate adaptation, resilience building, and innovative water resource management.

The second session, "Artificial Intelligence for Weather Modification: Future Pathways," discussed AI's role in climate forecasting and weather modification, emphasizing its potential to improve climate adaptation.

The panel also highlighted AI-driven weather predictions, high-resolution modeling, and ethical considerations in AI applications. Experts stressed the importance of collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders to enhance water security and mitigate climate change impacts.

The third session, titled "Hybrid AI-Physics-Based Models and Data Science for Climate and Weather Research: Pathway to Weather Modification Applications," was opened by the CEO of Inception Andrew Jackson.

The panel included experts from various institutions who discussed the integration of AI and physics-based models with data science for improving climate and weather research. The session focused on how these hybrid approaches can enhance forecasting accuracy and deepen the understanding of atmospheric dynamics.

It also explored their potential applications in climate intervention and weather modification techniques. The session featured presentations from the experts. The first presentation addressed the challenge of predicting changes in precipitation patterns.

The second presentation explored how combining AI, physics-based models, and advanced sensing techniques can support weather research. The third presentation introduced a hybrid machine-learning framework designed to improve precipitation forecasting.