The Burj Khalifa dominates the skyline of Dubai; at more than 800 metres, it is the world’s tallest building. But it could be eclipsed by an even larger structure, an artificial mountain created to increase rainfall.
This idea is being explored in the UAE with assistance from the US National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The basic idea is sound. Mountains force the incoming winds upwards; air cools as it rises, causing moisture to condense and turn to rain or snow. The researchers are carrying out detailed modelling and will report this year on how high a mountain and how steep a slope is needed.
The UAE is one of the driest nations in the world, with annual rainfall less than 100mm a year. A program of cloud seeding from the air is already under way, and was credited with increasing rainfall earlier this year. This remains controversial. NCAR says that even after several decades of research, there is a “lack of hard, consistent and repeatable evidence” that cloud seeding actually works. Hence the need for a more radical approach.
Cost has put a halt to previous mountain-building. One estimate put the price tag of a proposed 2,000-metre mountain in Holland at €200bn (£150bn). While an artificial mountain may seem ambitious, the UAE ahas already constructed numerous artificial islands and lakes. It is a rich country and, in future, any additional rainfall the mountain brings may be literally priceless.
