UAEREP explores cooperation avenues with Russia's Lebedev Institute

MOSCOW, 23rd July, 2018 (WAM) -- The UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science’s, UAEREP, has continued its current roadshow in Russia with a visit to the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, LPI RAS. The roadshow team, led by Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, Director of the National Meteorology Centre, NCM, held productive meetings at one of the largest and reputedly the oldest scientific research centre in Russia. The roadshow team also met Dr. Vladimir Ryabov, the Deputy Director of the Lebedev Institute of Physics, along with his team. At the meeting, Dr. Al Mandous stressed the potential of future cooperation between the UAE and Russia leading to scientific advancement in the fields of meteorology, weather modification and rain enhancement. Some of the most innovative global research currently being undertaken is being led by the UAEREP’s nine awardees, who are drawn from numerous prominent research institutions around the globe. Dr. Al Mandous said, "The Russian Academy of Sciences, which includes the Lebedev Institute of Physics, is an internationally renowned scientific organisation conducting original and innovative work across a range of fields. We are proud to be able to establish a solid mutual partnership in the field of meteorology based on shared interests in an area of research activity that is becoming increasingly important and whose techniques are constantly evolving." The Russian representatives described the remarkable progress made by LPI RAS in the fields of atmospheric research, meteorology and rain enhancement. Dr. Ryabov stressed the interest of the institute and the other member institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences in working closely with the NCM and the UAEREP to seek advance scientific and technological solutions to serve the programme’s aim of addressing the threat of drought globally. At LPI RAS, the UAE delegation met a 3rd cycle awardee of the UAEREP, Dr. Ali Abshaev, and his research team members. The meeting enabled the participants to discuss Dr. Ali Abshaev’s research executive plan, review the progress made to date on his awarded research project, and examine the project’s labs and facilities. The institute’s Deputy Director also stressed RAS’ confidence that the promising UAE project of Dr. Ali Abshaev would provide real support to general global efforts to achieve global water sustainability through advances in the science of rainwater to those threatened by water scarcity. Dr. Abshaev is an Associate Professor at the Hail Suppression Research Centre in Russia and Head of the Weather Modification Laboratory at the High Mountain Geophysical Institute of the Russian Hydrometeorological Service. As a programme awardee, he is leading a breakthrough project aiming to stimulate convection and precipitation with solar energy absorbed by aerosols and helium-filled balloons deployed in cloudless conditions to heat specific atmospheric areas. Launched by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs of the UAE, and managed by the NCM, the UAEREP’s active international engagement has already attained a leading position in the global quest to address water security challenges through innovative scientific and technical research.