ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdistan Region and Iraq are researching opportunities to artificially enhance rainfall in order to address ongoing water shortages, according to officials from both governments.

The Kurdistan Region has begun looking into the utilization of artificial rain enhancement, also known as cloud seeding, to alleviate water shortages, entering negotiations with multiple foreign companies and receiving offers, Director General of Water Resources at the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Karwan Sabah Hawrami told The New Region on Wednesday.

Hawrami's words come only two days after the Iraqi Ministry of Transport revealed in a statement on Monday that that Baghdad had spoken with Australian Rain Technology (ART) and a German rainmaking company to a similar end.

"We discussed the work mechanism with the German company specializing in rainmaking technology by raising the most important questions and inquiries, as well as the most important experiences and innovations that these companies have worked on," the statement read.

Hawrami said that Iraq's inquiries into cloud seeding is a "separate subject and concerns Baghdad," adding that the Kurdistan Region hasn't been formally notified by the Iraqi side on the matter.

Cloud seeding involves the dispersal of certain particles, such as silver iodide, potassium iodide, or carbon dioxide, into the air to induce precipitation. The process of cloud seeding, however, is expensive.

Iraq in recent years has struggled with water scarcity and low precipitation rates. Baghdad has tried to address the issue through water management talks with neighboring countries such as Turkey and the installation of water pumps along the country's landmark marshes.

The current attempts to explore artificial rain are aimed at alleviating the drought that the region has experienced in recent years.

“Affected by soaring temperatures, insufficient and diminishing rainfall, intensified droughts, and water scarcity,” Iraq was “named the fifth-most vulnerable country to climate breakdown,” according to a 2022 United Nations publication.

The publication added that the pollution of Iraq’s water supply, caused by oil and gas fields as well as large dam projects in the region, has exacerbated the issue, forcing marsh dwellers to relocate in search of a clean water supply for their livestock .