Whilst we’re used to rain in Britain, to the degree that it feels strange when there’s not been at least a shower for a few days, in certain areas of the world water is a valuable commodity. There are frequent droughts in the Middle East and the climate means that freshwater is often in scarce supply. Much of it is allocated to irrigation, leaving less and less for everyday purposes. As populations grow or migrate, the pressure on this finite resource becomes greater and greater.
The UAE is one of the most arid countries in the world. Indeed, only Kuwait has less natural freshwater. Whilst the emirate might be flush with money, water is another matter. There has been major investment in desalination plants and the transportation of water, but that comes at a huge financial and environmental cost. There could be another solution. The seeding of clouds. This is the subject of Tuija Halttunen new documentary, How to Kill a Cloud.
Following Finnish scientist Hannele Korhonen on her 3-year quest to make it rain on the desert, How to Kill a Cloud gives an inside track on the complexities and contradictions of modern scientific research. It’s clear that politics and Politics play a huge role in development and it becomes increasingly apparent that money talks. As the environmental crisis deepens, How to Kill a Cloud is a detailed and studied observation of the intricacies of climate science and professional integrity.
How to Kill a Cloud screens at CPH:DOX.
