WMOD00294 ‎(2)‎

• Title: Thailand Applied Atmospheric Research Program - Final Report - Volume I
• Prepared For: US Agency for International Development
• Date: 3/1/1994
• Country: Thailand
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

Silverman et al. (1986) recommended a comprehensive 5-year developmental program to
improve the scientific and technical capabilities of Thai weather modification personnel
through training; additional equipment, including meteorological sensors and computers; and
a cloud seeding demonstration project. The Bhumibol Catchment area in northwestem
Thailand was recommended as the site for project field studies and experimentation (fig. 1.1).

USAID accepted, in principle, the recommendation for the broad-based technology transfer
program to upgrade Thailand's weather modification capabilities. This broad-based
technology transfer program is known as the AARRP (Applied Atmospheric Resources
Research Program). USAID amended the original PASA with Reclamation to provide for
continued planning studies through a visit to Thailand in the summer of 1987 by Dr.
Silverman and another Reclamation scientist. Further negotiations among Reclamation,
USAID, and the Royal Thai Government led to a second PASA with Reclamation, the current
one, for implementation of the proposed AARRP. This 5-year PASA was signed on April 8,
1988. Under a preincurred costs clause, work under the PASA actually began in advance of
the signing of the P ASA. According to language in the P ASA:

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"The purpose of the program is to help develop within the Royal Thai
Government an improved capability to design, plan, implement, monitor, and
evaluate scientifically-based weather modification projects in Thailand. The
program will support improvement in this capability through the transfer of
technology, provision of technical assistance, execution of special analyses,
provision of scientific equipment, and training.

The project includes short-term measures that will assist and improve present
operations and a long-term developmental program to place future operations
on a sound scientific basis. The short-term program provides for training in
core scientific areas and for assistance in modernizing and upgrading
equipment and facilities. The long-term program focuses on institutional
development and improvement of a Thai capability to plan, direct, and control
rainmaking operations."

Eleven amendments have been made to the P ASA. Most of the amendments were primarily
for the implementation of financial and/or administrative changes to the PASA. However,
two of the amendments also changed the basic goals and objectives ofthe PASA. The original
goal of the project was:

"The goal of the program is to increase manageable water resources in
Thailand through the implementation of a scientifically-based weather
modification project on a demonstration basis. The project will lead to
improvements in current cloud seeding operations that are conducted to
provide limited relief to economic and social impacts of local droughts by
seeding promising clouds to increase rainfall over small but critical portions of
the country. The program represents a demonstration and test program of
improved technology, so emphasis will be placed on evaluation of project
results to determine the feasibility of long-term weather modification
application as a water resources management technique in Thailand."

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