SDG 13: Climate Action | SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) | Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)
Weather modification has re-emerged as a high-priority global topic due to intensifying water scarcity and climate extremes. The 11th WMO Scientific Conference on Weather Modification, held in Pune, from 3–7 November 2025, convened over 220 experts to transition the field from basic feasibility studies toward integrated operational decision-support systems.
Key technological and scientific highlights:
Digital and Autonomous Systems: AI is being integrated into real-time cloud-seeding decisions and semi-autonomous weather modification activities, rather than serving merely as a post-processing tool.
Next-Generation Platforms: Advanced tools such as uncrewed aircraft systems (drones), high-fidelity simulation labs (including a new cloud chamber at IITM Pune), and high-resolution modeling are optimizing targeting strategies.
Precipitation and Hazard Management: Research tracks focused on precipitation enhancement in deep convective and orographic clouds, hail mitigation, fog suppression, and lightning reduction.
Climate Intervention: The conference explored “Marine Cloud Brightening” and other climate intervention approaches in a guarded manner, alongside traditional rain enhancement.
Policy Relevance
For India, the conference underscores a move toward making weather modification a pillar of water and food security. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) highlighted that even experimental failures (such as recent cloud-seeding trials in Delhi) provide critical data for refining future atmospheric interventions.
Key Recommendations for Policy Stakeholders:
Establish Robust Governance: Develop comprehensive frameworks addressing the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of weather modification.
Standardize Best Practices: Align national projects with WMO’s “Neutral Platform” for scientific exchange to ensure responsible and equitable atmospheric management.
Inclusive Communication: Foster dialogue between scientists and local communities to address cultural perceptions of nature and build public confidence in new technologies.
Investment in Capacity: Support the development of early-career scientists and regional centers of excellence (e.g., ASEAN Weather Modification Centre) to ensure long-term scientific continuity.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can the Ministry of Earth Sciences ensure that regional cloud-seeding projects are evaluated through a standardized “socio-economic impact assessment” that accounts for both the localized benefits and the transboundary environmental risks?
Follow the full news here: Shaping the Future of Weather Modification