China has allocated 199 million yuan ($29.76 million) to spend on its weather modification programme as part of efforts to combat drought and reduce the impact of natural disasters.
The finance ministry said on Thursday in Shanghai that the additional funding had been made available in order to help China’s regions respond to the large number of “extreme weather events” this year.
It said it would also include heavy flooding in south and central regions as well as drought in the northwest.
The ministry disclosed that the funding has become necessary because China currently uses weather modification technology for many items.
It includes; cloud seeding to induce rain during droughts, to reduce hail, and to clear the skies ahead of prestigious international events, including the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
The ministry added that China is planning to use weather modification technologies to create more than 60 billion cubic meters of additional rain a year by 2020.