The rainfalls, brought about by the firing of cannons and rockets and the dispatch of planes, wetted a land area totaling 90,000 square kilometers in the region.

In recent years, artificial rainfall has become an effective measure for addressing water shortages, said Shang Yongsheng, senior engineer with the Ningxia Weather Office on Artificial Rainfall Affairs.

According to Shang, artificial rainfalls can increase local precipitation by five to 20 percent annually, which not only helps guarantee normal farming operations, but also helps to maintain dwindling surface and ground water levels.

Shang said this is the first time that artificial rainfall efforts have been carried out through the entire region. In the past, such efforts were made only in the southern mountainous area of the region.

(Xinhua News Agency April 7, 2003)