By Alya Al Mazroui,

Director, UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP)

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) marks this year as the Year of Community, a national theme that invites each of us to reflect on what it truly means to build lasting connections, support one another, and shape a shared future. At the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP), these values are not just aspirations, they are the very foundation of how we conduct collaborative scientific research in rain enhancement. We believe that scientific collaboration is one of the most powerful expressions of community in action, a space where knowledge is shared, challenges are tackled together, and collective progress is made possible.

Since our establishment in 2015 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, the UAEREP has been more than a grant-awarding institution. We are a community of solution-seekers who thrive on principles that mirror the essence of strong human communities: collaboration, trust, diversity, and shared purpose. Across our past five program cycles, the UAEREP has cultivated a global network of researchers, scientists, technologists, and innovators spanning more than 70 countries and 800 institutions who work together to address one of humanity’s most pressing challenges: water scarcity. What unites this diverse “community of science” is not nationality or discipline, but a shared commitment to solutions that that benefit people everywhere.

To date, the program has supported 14 awardee projects with partners from universities in the UAE, Germany, Japan, Finland, the UK, the USA, Russia, China, among others. We have convened researchers from across the world through leading events such as the International Rain Enhancement Forum (IREF), and our network of over 3,700 stakeholders continues to grow. These engagements are more than scientific, they are built on active collaborations in applied research and technology development.

Nothing embodies the spirit of community more than investing in our youth. That is why every UAEREP-funded project proposal is evaluated on its ability to build human capital. So far, over 62 students and early-career researchers have participated in our projects, benefiting from internships, exchange programs, and research opportunities with leading institutions such as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (UCSD) and the University of Bern, through collaborations with national academic and research institutions like Khalifa University and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII). Our Rain Enhancement Hub public webinar series, student-led poster sessions at IREF, and series of field campaigns offer young minds a chance to contribute, learn, and grow their scientific interests across our multidisciplinary projects, leveraging advances in material science, autonomous aerial systems, and AI-driven weather and climate modeling.

Rain enhancement research is no longer a niche scientific pursuit; it is emerging as a crucial asset in a diversified water portfolio, especially as water-intensive technologies, including artificial intelligence, place unprecedented strain on global freshwater supplies. A recent Bloomberg report highlights that nearly two-thirds of new data centers built or in development since 2022 are located in water-stressed regions. These facilities consume vast amounts of water, both directly for cooling servers and indirectly through electricity generation. This surge in digital demand underscores the urgency of advancing sustainable water solutions, and rain enhancement is increasingly poised to fill that critical gap.

In this context, the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP) offers a timely and visionary model, unlocking solutions that are not only innovative but also equitable and scalable. Looking ahead, the lessons of UAEREP offer a valuable blueprint not just for strengthening the broader Water–Food–Energy Nexus, but also for meeting the complex and evolving demands of our time, including the growing water pressures driven by technologies such as artificial intelligence and data center operations.  As we continue our mission into the sixth cycle and beyond, we remain guided by a simple yet profound belief: when science is rooted in community, its impact knows no bounds. Let the Year of Community serve as a reminder that together, we can weather any storm, and in doing so, bring rain, hope, and resilience to those who need it most in a changing climate.