The government of Puerto Rico does not plan to use cloud seeding to induce rain in reservoirs affected by drought and prevent water rationing from worsening. Waldemar Quiles, president of the Drought Committee and Secretary of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), stated that the committee does not consider cloud seeding. Luis Reinaldo González Delgado, president of the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA), also said that the topic has not been discussed during the current drought.
Puerto Rico is experiencing a severe drought, particularly in the southwest and south, due to a rainfall deficiency exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon. Cloud seeding was attempted during the 2015 drought, but experts like geomorphologist José Molinelli Freytes claim it was ineffective. Quiles noted that the method’s effectiveness is controversial, with more negative than positive assessments.
The DRNA secretary emphasized that cloud seeding is a scientific, not magical, process, and its 20% effectiveness in areas like Texas may not be replicable in Puerto Rico due to the island’s rapid cloud movement.