China expands its weather modification program – to an area bigger than India

 Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

中国、気象改変プログラムを拡大へ　インド超える面積が対象に

2020.12.05 Sat posted at 11:30 JST

香港（ＣＮＮ） 中国国務院は今週、人工降雨などの気象改変プログラムの対象地域を２０２５年までに５５０万平方キロ超に拡大する方針を明らかにした。これはインドの総面積の１．５倍以上に相当する。

国務院によると、基礎研究の進展や技術革新、安全リスク予防体制の改善が追い風となり、中国は２５年までに「先進的な気象改変システム」を持つに至る見込みだという。

今後５年間で、人工降雨・降雪の対象となる地域は５５０万平方キロ、降雹（ひょう）抑制の対象となる地域は５８万平方キロ超に達する見通し。国務院の声明では、気象改変プログラムにより災害救援や農業生産、森林・草原火災への緊急対応、猛暑や干ばつへの対処に改善が見込めるとしている。

中国がかねて気象制御に取り組んできた背景には、農地の保護に加え、主要行事に合わせ確実に青空をつくり出す目的もある。２００８年北京五輪の前にはスモッグを減らし、競技中の降雨を避けるため、「クラウド・シーディング（雲の種まき）」と呼ばれる技術で人工的に雨を降らせた。

クラウド・シーディングの発想自体は数十年前から存在する。湿度の高い雲の中に少量のヨウ化銀を注入すると、水分がヨウ化銀の粒の周りに集まり、重くなって雨として落下するという仕組みだ。

当初は不透明な部分もあったものの、中国はこの技術に重点投資し、２０１２年から１７年にかけて米ドル換算で１３億４０００万ドル超を投入。国営新華社通信によると、昨年には農業地帯の西部・新疆で雹による被害を７０％減らすことにつながった。

米国を含む他国もクラウド・シーディングへの投資を進めているが、中国はとりわけこの技術に熱心で、農業が雨期に大きく左右される隣国インドをはじめ一部地域では警戒感も広がっている。

Translation

Hong Kong (CNN) The State Council of the People's Republic of China announced this week that it would expand the coverage of its weather modification programs such as artificial rainfall to more than 5.5 million square kilometers by 2025. This was more than 1.5 times the total area of ​​India.

According to the State Council, with progress in basic research, innovation in technology, together with improvement in the safety risk prevention system, they were in a favorable situation. China was expected to have an "advanced weather modification system" by 2025.

Over the next five years, the area subject to artificial rainfall and snowfall was expected to reach 5.5 million square kilometers, and the area subject to hail control was expected to reach over 580,000 square kilometers. A statement from the State Council said the weather modification program could improve disaster relief, agricultural production, forest and grassland fire emergency response, and response to intense heat and drought.

Behind China's long-standing commitment to weather control was not only for the protection of farmland, but also for the purpose of reliably creating a blue sky in line with major events. Smog was reduced before the 2008 Beijing Olympics; and in order to avoid rainfall during the competitions, artificial raining was induced using a technique called "cloud seeding".

The idea of ​​cloud seeding itself had existed for decades. When a small amount of silver iodide was injected into a cloud that had a high humidity, water gathers around the silver iodide grains. It became heavy and fell as rain.

Although there were some uncertainties at the beginning, China focused on this technology and invested more than $ 1.34 billion in US dollars from 2012 to 2017. According to the state-owned Xinhua News Agency, last year hail damage was reduced by 70% in the western part of the agricultural area in Xinjiang.

Other countries, including the United States, were also investing in cloud seeding, but China was particularly keen on this technology, and there was growing caution in some regions, including neighboring India where its agriculture was heavily affected by the rainy season.

              So, China is expected to have an "advanced weather modification system" by 2025. It is interesting to note that China has invested more than $ 1.34 billion in US dollars from 2012 to 2017 on this weather controlling technology.