Moroccan Downpours Spark Concerns Among Spanish Farmers, Prompting Calls for EU Action

Farmers are demanding more information from the Spanish and European authorities on these torrential rains that are causing floods and significant human and material damage in Morocco. They want to know in particular if these downpours are caused by cloud seeding and if this technique does not have adverse effects on rainfall in Spain.

"We will have to be very attentive to the development of these scientific operations that take place at night and in secret, and which have already been carried out in some countries where they are put into practice," said Juan de Dios Hernández, president of the Asaja association, to La Opinión, calling on the European Commission to take measures to limit the damage that this practice could cause.

"If we rely on scientific studies, we must denounce that this can negatively affect the weather conditions of our country," added the official. For his part, Ginés Mirón, the spokesman for the Association of Meteorologists of the Southeast (Ametse), expressed reservations about the effectiveness of cloud seeding.

Based on a scientific study, Mirón notes that this technique is not profitable, as the maximum increase in precipitation cannot exceed 4%. A percentage that he considers "not significant", especially in areas where rainfall is scarce. "If a country has 200 liters per year and you get 208, it’s worth nothing," he detailed.

In a report published after the 2023 Climate Summit, the UN condemned the use of this technique, indicating that it "can trigger a series of reactions with significant risks for humans, the oceans, temperature and biodiversity".