By Muhammad Soban  ISLAMABAD, March 24 (INP-WealthPK): Minister for Science and Technology Senator Shibli Faraz has said his ministry is working on a project to explore the benefits of artificial rain, which will help combat smog and other environmental issues. Cloud seeding is a weather-modification technique that enhances the ability of a cloud to produce rain or snow by adding condensation nuclei to the atmosphere, thus providing a base for forming snowflakes or raindrops. Once the seeding process for the cloud happens, precipitation from the clouds returns to the surface of the earth. Researchers have estimated that cloud seeding operations may increase rainfall by 30% to 35% in a clear atmosphere and by 10% to 15% in turbid air. According to statistics, currently, 52 countries have been using this artificial raining system. In Asia, the United Arab Emirates was the first country, which had used cloud seeding technology for artificial rain in the 1990s. Most of the countries, including the United States of America, Australia, and Israel, have been using this technology for weather modification. Pakistan can take benefit from the use of cloud seeding technology in different ways. The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics reported that of Pakistan's total 79.6 million hectares, 70% is arid or semi-arid. Only 22 million hectares (27.6%) are under cultivation. Climate change has affected Pakistan’s production of wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane and maize. Incessant escalation in earth temperatures globally is changing precipitation patterns, including a shift in monsoon rains. These conditions affect agricultural production, farm livelihoods, and agribusiness infrastructure, leading to food insecurity and malnutrition among the farming communities. In this scenario, cloud seeding technology could be a blessing for Pakistan. Pakistan can take advantage of this technology to overcome the effects of climate change through artificial rain and enhance production. Secondly, heat wave is an extreme weather condition and the most lethal type of weather phenomenon that is characterised by a prolonged period of excessively hot weather with or without high humidity. Pakistan often suffers from heat waves. In such circumstances, seed technology could be used to produce rainfall in areas that are affected by heat waves. Thirdly, Pakistan badly suffers from smog in winter every year, causing lung and heart diseases. People also suffer from eye and throat burns with cough and wheeze. To combat this serious issue, cloud seeding technology would be a blessing in disguise. Through artificial rain, Pakistan could reduce smog levels and improve the air quality. Fourth, as water reserves in Pakistan are fast depleting, cloud seed technology can help the country increase its water resources through snow falling in mountainous areas.