The UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science this week hosted a series of meetings with leading Finnish researchers working on climatology and meteorology, measurements and modelling.

Reflecting its growing international status as a rain enhancement leader, the programme held meetings in Helsinki with experts and leading scientific institutions earlier this month. The programme team’s visit to Helsinki included a series of meetings and discussions with Professor Hannele Korhonen, an awardee of the Programme’s Second Cycle, from the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The team also met with representatives from Vaisala, a manufacturer of products and services for environmental and industrial measurement. Vaisala is the world's leading supplier for meteorological measurement infrastructure.

Professor Korhonen’s team is currently working on the "Optimisation of Aerosol Seeding In rain enhancement Strategies (OASIS)", which is seeking to quantify the role of atmospheric aerosols in precipitation enhancement. OASIS aims to both advance the fundamental scientific understanding and to provide practical guidance for future field explorations.

Alya Al Mazroui, Director of the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science, commented, "We are delighted to have had the opportunity to visit our research colleagues in Finland to strengthen and deepen our already productive research collaboration. Our meetings also allowed us to explore the progress made to date on Professor Hannele Korhonen project and discuss the next steps for this exciting project. Our programme is already internationally renowned for inspiring and innovative research that gave real impetus to the science and technology of rain enhancement. By positioning the UAE as an international hub for the next generation innovation needed to ensure our common water security, we are making a real difference in this crucial field."

Professor Hannele Korhonen said, "The UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science has already played an invaluable role in encouraging the international research networks needed to advance rain enhancement science and technology. Through our examination of the role of aerosols in enhancing precipitation, our project is seeking to break new ground in improving understanding the basic mechanics of aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions and optimized seeding strategies for rain enhancement. I am very pleased with the programme team’s visit and the opportunity to share updates and insights on the progress to date."