Online Reporter
Cloud seeding is no silver bullet, but the Government is right to treat it as an important part of the national response to what could be a difficult 2026/27 summer season.
With the seasonal forecast pointing to below-normal rainfall and elevated temperatures, the Government cannot afford to wait for crops to fail, dams to recede and livestock to weaken before acting. The decision to deploy three aircraft to Bulawayo, Harare and Masvingo for cloud-seeding operations shows welcome recognition that climate risk management must begin before the rains arrive.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka is cited in the latest edition of our sister paper, Sunday News, as saying the Government has activated a six-pillar response plan after the weather forecast indicated a drier season. That framework includes strategic grain reserves, climate-smart agriculture, a new financial architecture, livestock support, enhanced imports and stronger coordination, capacity-building and early-warning systems. Within that package, cloud seeding sits under the pillar of climate-smart production.
“And it is in this context that, under Pillar 2 that looks at climate-smart production, we are looking at enhancement and augmentation of rainfall,” Dr Masuka said.
That wider framing is important. Cloud seeding should not be sold as a miracle cure. It can only enhance rainfall where suitable clouds already exist. It cannot create a rainy season out of a dry sky. The minister himself acknowledged this reality by stressing preparedness, research and tracking, rather than empty promises.
Still, realism must not become passivity. We have learned repeatedly that delayed responses to poor rainfall are costly. Crop failure feeds directly into food insecurity, inflationary pressure, water shortages and lower rural incomes. Livestock losses can take years to reverse. In such circumstances, every practical intervention that may improve rainfall outcomes deserves serious attention.
The pre-positioning of aircraft is therefore sensible. “We are going to be using largely the conventional method of aircraft and we now have three aircraft which will be stationed in Masvingo, Bulawayo and in Harare,” Dr Masuka said.
That kind of geographic spread is important. Timing is everything in rainfall-enhancement operations, and a delayed response can mean missed opportunities when suitable cloud systems develop.
What is equally encouraging is the emphasis on research and monitoring. Dr Masuka said authorities were looking at “research development and tracking of the success of cloud seeding so that we can form better planning into the future”. This must remain central. We need credible evidence on where cloud seeding works best, when it works, and what value it adds relative to cost.
The exploration of drones, fixed stations and satellite support through the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency is also a step in the right direction. Technology should deepen, not replace, conventional operations. Drones can assist targeted monitoring, fixed stations can complement aircraft-based interventions, and satellite data can improve identification of promising systems.
Yet cloud seeding will only deliver real value if it is tied to a broader drought strategy. Better water harvesting, irrigation planning, drought-tolerant seed, fodder support, functioning grain reserves and timely imports must all work together. No single intervention will shield us from a poor season on its own.
If the 2026/27 summer season turns out badly as forecast, the country will need every tool available. Cloud seeding may not bring salvation, but ignoring it would be a mistake.
