Weather Modification / Cloud Seeding — UPSC Mains Model Answer

Large-scale seeding can enhance rainfall over target areas while reducing moisture available to downwind regions, effectively redistributing a shared atmospheric resource. This creates potential for inter-state and international disputes, as one jurisdiction's water gain may be another's deficit. The World Meteorological Organization has flagged the absence of binding international protocols governing such interventions.

Silver iodide, the most widely used seeding agent, is toxic to aquatic microorganisms at elevated concentrations. Repeated operations over watersheds risk gradual bioaccumulation in soil, sediment, and water bodies, potentially disrupting microbial communities that underpin nutrient cycling. Field studies from regions with sustained seeding programmes have detected measurable silver concentrations in downstream catchments.

Cloud seeding agents are dispersed in the troposphere, well below the stratosphere where ozone depletion occurs. Attributing ozone damage to conventional seeding chemicals lacks scientific basis; this concern conflates cloud seeding with stratospheric aerosol injection, a distinct and experimental geoengineering approach.

India's weather modification activities lack a dedicated statutory framework, leaving environmental impact assessment largely discretionary. A centralised regulatory body with mandatory pre-operation modelling, post-operation monitoring, and cross-border notification protocols is essential before scaling operations.