Sahel-Saharan countries willing to try Moroccan artificial rain technique

The 7th summit of the Sahel-Saharan States Community (CEN-SAD) decided to help spread the artificial rain technique developed by Morocco to enable the community countries cope with problems relating to farming water shortage.

The summit, wound up in Ouagadougou on Thursday, mandated CEN-SAD Secretary general to contact Morocco and Burkina Faso to consider means likely to help member countries benefit from the artificial rain technique, the final communiqué said.

Burkina Faso was the first country to ask in 1998 for Moroccan assistance to work out its own program to trigger rain, called "Saaga" in local language and meaning rain.

The technique entailed a 13 percent increase in rainfall raising agricultural produce amounts in Burkina Faso and inciting other countries of the Inter-State Committee for Drought Fighting in the Sahel (CILSS) suffering rain shortage to seek help with Morocco.

Senegal is readying to launch an initial experiment stage of the technique after the inauguration of a rain radar facility in April.

On agriculture, the summit decided to set up a research center on seeds and seedlings, as well as agriculture and water bodies. Regarding political issue, the summit voiced willingness to implement the conflict prevention, management and settlement mechanism and enact the mutual defense protocol.