IS artificial rain possible? Can rainfall be prevented? If
artificial rain is possible, why hasn’t it not been used to combat the
myriad of droughts hitting Africa? In the Horn of Africa, countries such
as Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya are endlessly plagued by drought so much
that it takes the world to rescue them from hunger and death.
The vast Sahara desert which is spreading fast to Nigeria is also home to little or no rain.
If artificial rain is possible, then why hasn’t it been used to
fight desertification and make that area a wetland once again, after
all, rainmaking or artificial rain “refers to the act of attempting to
artificially induce or increase precipitation , usually to stave off
drought .” If artificial rain is possible, imagine the possibilities
it offers to Africa. Forest fires can be stopped. Fires burning our
markets, public and private buildings can be stopped. Lakes and rivers
such as Lake Chad presently drying up can be refilled.
Yes, if artificial rain is possible, then its advantages are legion,
especially if appiled in Africa. But here, its possibility or existence
is viewed with scepticipism. But then, in many societies around the
world, rain dances and other rituals have been used to attempt to
increase rainfall. Some Native Americans used rain dances extensively.
Romanian ceremonies known as paparuda and caloian were prevalent in
Europe. Some United States farmers also attempt to bring rain during
droughts through prayer, a phenomenon particularly common in US farming
regions. These rituals differ greatly in their specifics, but share a
common concern with bringing rain through ritual and/or spiritual means.
Typical of these ceremonies was then-governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue’s
public prayer service for rain, in 2007.
Rain is not made for fun. It has economic and social reasons. But in
Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa, because much of what is known about
rain making is from the works of native doctors, the art, where it is
believable, is even derided and described as fetish, juju, magic and
devilish.
In fact, some say rainmaking is not possible. Yet, in Nigeria,
instances abound when native doctors chased away rains which threatened
some social events.
Also, instances abound when rain making and rain stopping have been
used all over the world. In fact, the art has gone beyond rain. It now
involves the art of making snow as in China. Indeed, there have been
plenty of attempts all over the world to influence the weather with
chemical tricks. In Thailand, for example, what is called the ‘fon
luang’, or ‘king’s rain’, is aimed at preventing drought, while what are
known as ‘hail planes’ regularly take to the skies in Germany to subdue
potential hailstorms.
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