China’s new climate control program is a monster
A large part of China is arid, with serious implications on the people's livelihoods and health, the new climate control program will improve their living conditions.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'China’s new climate control program is a monster', 311 Institute, 18 February. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/chinas-new-climate-control-program-is-a-monster/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
China, the world's second largest economy, announced on Wednesday that it’s going to spend $168 million on a climate control program that will hopefully make it rain in the country’s arid north west.
No stranger to using technologies like cloud seeding to influence and even control weather patterns, China's top economic planners gave the go ahead for what will be the world’s largest weather control programs after a feasibility study conducted last year concluded that the three year program could generate a significant increase in the amount of rainfall over an area of 960,000 sq km, or as much as 10% of China.
The budget for the project, which was allocated by the National Development and Reform Commission will cover the cost for four new aircraft and updates to eight existing planes, nearly 900 rocket launch systems and over 1,800 digital control devices.
China has been deploying cloud seeding technology at an unprecedented rate for the past few years now so the new project, while huge, isn’t necessarily a surprise, and in the past the government have induced rainfall by peppering clouds with catalysts like silver iodide or dry ice to relieve droughts.
The country, like many others, is also known to manipulate precipitation for other purposes, like clearing the skies for public events such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics, countering boiling summer heat and attempting to wash away the choking smog that annually envelops major cities.
This latest weather investment though will target the swathe of western China between Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, a stretch of the country known for dry climate and general water shortages. Meanwhile an official from Qinghai, another province that will benefit from the program, said that between 2006 and 2016 artificial rain induction program, as they’re calling it, has increased the amount of rainfall by 55 billion cubic meters.
So let it rain, let it rain.
What this means for your organisation
Water supply becomes a policy lever.
The programme targets a stretch of western China known for dry climate and water shortages, with the aim of significantly increasing rainfall. One province reports rainfall gains measured in tens of billions of cubic metres over a decade. Agriculture and water users should factor deliberate weather management into their supply planning.
The cost is modest for the scale.
A three year programme covering as much as 10% of the country is budgeted at $168 million, spread across aircraft, launch systems and control devices. That is small against the value of the water. Leaders should compare intervention costs against the losses they already absorb.
Other uses are already routine.
The same methods have been used to clear skies for public events, counter summer heat and reduce smog. Weather management is becoming an operational tool, not an experiment. Firms depending on weather should expect others to be influencing it.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Does our water planning assume natural rainfall only?
- How do intervention costs compare with the losses we absorb?
- Who else could be influencing the weather we depend on?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
A large part of China is arid, with serious implications on the people's livelihoods and health, the new climate control program will improve their living conditions.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- National Development and Reform Commission en.ndrc.gov.cn
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 18 February 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). China’s new climate control program is a monster. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/chinas-new-climate-control-program-is-a-monster/
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