“Tidbits From TNT” Sunday 2-15-2026

TNT:

Tishwash: Kujer: Fluctuations in oil prices directly impact the budget and the economic reality.

Member of Parliament Jamal Kojar confirmed on Saturday that the fluctuation in global oil prices significantly affects the country's economic and financial situation.

Kujer told Al-Furat News Agency that “a decrease in the price of a barrel of oil by one dollar means a loss to the general budget and the state treasury of about four million dollars, while an increase in the price by one dollar leads to an increase in treasury revenues by the same amount.” 

The Iraqi economy relies mainly on revenues from crude oil exports, which makes the general budget highly sensitive to price movements in global markets, whether upward or downward. link

Tishwash:  With the start of Ramadan, a breakthrough is expected in the presidential deadlock, with the nomination of the candidate from the largest bloc.

Abdel Samad Zarkoushi, a member of the coordinating framework, predicted on Friday (February 13, 2026) that the candidate of the largest bloc would be appointed during the first days of the holy month of Ramadan.

Al-Zarkoushi told Baghdad Today that “dialogues and meetings of the Coordination Framework forces are continuing almost daily, and there are serious efforts to resolve the issue of the position of President of the Republic,” noting that “important understandings have been reached in the past few days, and are expected to be reflected in next week’s meetings.”

He added that "the readings available to us indicate that the issue of electing the President of the Republic and assigning the candidate of the largest bloc will be resolved in the first days of Ramadan," noting that "the forces of the framework are still holding on to their candidate Nouri al-Maliki for the next government, and there are no changes in this direction."

Al-Zarkoushi confirmed that "the forces of the framework will hold an important meeting next week, perhaps before the month of Ramadan, to discuss several issues, and its outcomes may lead to accelerating the pace of setting a session for the House of Representatives to vote on the President of the Republic, after which the latter will assign the candidate of the largest bloc."

These statements come amid continued political deadlock over the appointment of the President and Prime Minister, following repeated rounds of talks between the Coordination Framework forces and other political forces.

The House of Representatives had failed in previous sessions to achieve the legal quorum necessary to elect the President of the Republic, which led to postponing the decision more than once, amid political tensions and disagreements over the candidates.

According to the Iraqi constitution, the election of the president of the republic precedes the step of assigning the candidate of the largest parliamentary bloc to form the government, which makes this entitlement pivotal in ending the state of paralysis and moving towards forming a new government to manage the next stage. link

************

Tishwash: Artificial rainmaking in Iraq: A costly "technological option" amid drought challenges

In light of the decline in the levels of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the dominance of drought in Iraq, “artificial rainmaking” stands out as one of the proposed technical solutions. However, experts warn against considering it a radical solution to the crisis, stressing that confronting water scarcity in Iraq requires integrated management and international coordination to guarantee water quotas.

Despite the rainy season in the country, the water scarcity and drought crisis continues to threaten agricultural lands and vital water resources.

Artificial rainmaking is an aid

Effective solutions, according to experts, require integrated water resources management, modernization of irrigation infrastructure, promotion of water harvesting and storage projects, and improved coordination with neighboring countries to guarantee Iraq’s rights to transboundary rivers. Thus, artificial rainmaking is viewed as a supporting tool within a comprehensive system of solutions, and not as a radical alternative to address water scarcity.

Working mechanism

Artificial rainmaking , or cloud seeding, is a technique that aims to increase rainfall from existing clouds in the atmosphere rather than creating new clouds, and it relies on stimulating clouds to produce rain in specific areas.

The process is usually carried out using equipped aircraft or ground-based generators that release catalysts such as silver iodide, industrial salt, or dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) into or around clouds, which helps to increase the water density in the cloud and stimulate rainfall.

The financial cost of artificial rainmaking projects

However, the application of artificial rainmaking is not easy, as it is financially and technically costly. It requires equipped aircraft, modern equipment, and specialized expertise to determine the timing of injection and the targeting areas. According to reports, the experiences of several countries indicate that artificial rainmaking involves high financial costs that vary according to the form of the project and the extent of its scope. In the United Arab Emirates, for example, the government allocated more than (22) million US dollars to support research and improve cloud seeding technology, within a long-term program to enhance rainfall in desert areas.

The cost of an hour of flight in the program is estimated at about (8) thousand dollars, and about (1100) hours of flight are carried out annually at a cost of approximately (9) million dollars.

In Saudi Arabia, the planning scenarios for the artificial rainmaking program vary over five years, with costs ranging between approximately (82–102) million dollars.

In India, the Cabinet approved a pilot program aimed at conducting cloud seeding experiments on the capital, New Delhi, at a cost of approximately $385,000. This budget is allocated to implement five weather modification experiments aimed at generating artificial rain to reduce air pollution and alleviate drought.

Meanwhile, in the United States, some states, such as Utah, spend annual sums exceeding $700,000 on weather modification programs that include cloud seeding technology, a figure that shows that even projects of a regional scale require large annual budgets.

In general, project costs include flight hours for equipped aircraft, fuel, crew wages, materials used in cloud seeding, and monitoring atmospheric data, making this technology relatively more expensive compared to some water management alternatives such as infrastructure improvement or desalination in some scenarios.

Preparations for implementation

For his part, Environment Minister He Lu, a military officer, revealed his ministry's readiness to begin the artificial rainmaking project.

He pointed out that three visions were put forward to determine the percentage of benefit from the project during the discussion of the file in the Supreme Water Committee.

The military official said that the artificial rainmaking project is not impossible, and that his ministry had presented the project to various councils and committees three years ago.

It was also discussed in the Supreme Water Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, confirming the full readiness to begin implementation.

He noted that the ministry took the initiative and expressed its technical readiness in terms of expertise and capabilities, but the initiative has not yet been implemented on the ground.

He attributed this delay in implementing the project to another party whose name he did not mention, stressing his ministry’s ability to complete the file and submit it to the government for implementation.

A very expensive project

In this regard, the head of the Green Iraq Observatory, Omar Abdul Latif, said that artificial rainmaking is an important option that can contribute to mitigating the effects of drought , raising water levels, and reviving some of the affected lands.

But he stressed that it is not the only solution to the water crisis in Iraq, and that addressing water challenges should not be reduced to it alone.

Abdul Latif said that artificial rainmaking “has a number of benefits, including contributing to raising water levels, modifying some climatic conditions, and reviving parts of the land that have been exposed to drought, as well as supporting aquatic environments that have been damaged during the past years.”

He explained that the technology can be used if water levels reach very low levels or if the land is exposed to complete drought.

Artificial rainmaking and the appropriate timing

He explained that the success of artificial rainmaking “is directly related to good timing, as the resulting rain may not serve farmers if it comes at times unsuitable for the agricultural seasons, and in some cases may even lead to damage to crops, given that its effect is similar to the effect of natural rain.”

Abdul Latif pointed out that “artificial rainmaking is financially and technically costly, as it requires aircraft and modern technologies to inject clouds and direct them towards specific areas such as rivers, dams, or dry lands.”

He pointed out that “implementing the project requires significant capabilities and advanced technical preparations.”

He explained that the water situation in Iraq remains linked to the rainy seasons.

He warned that “next summer could be difficult if the rainfall does not continue during the coming period.”

He also called for making use of the rainwater through water harvesting, storage and management projects to ensure its use during drought seasons.

He added that the water crisis in Iraq “cannot be reduced to a single solution such as artificial rainmaking.”

He stressed the need to “improve water resources management by the competent authorities, primarily the Ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture and other relevant bodies, in addition to developing management methods and enhancing the efficiency of use.”

He also stressed the importance of “strengthening the negotiating track with neighboring countries, especially Turkey, Iran and Syria, through a specialized and stable negotiating delegation that has a long-term vision that extends for several years, with the aim of guaranteeing Iraq’s water rights and preserving river levels.”

Abdul Latif concluded his statement by emphasizing that “artificial rainmaking can be one of the supporting options within a broader set of solutions that include water harvesting projects and improved water management and planning.”

However, he pointed out that “it should be treated as a complementary and final option within the comprehensive system of solutions for preserving water resources in Iraq.”

Part of a solution package

For his part, environmental researcher Ali Hashem said that “talking about artificial rainmaking as a solution to the drought crisis in Iraq is an inadequate approach and an exaggeration in estimating its results.”

He stressed that this technology “may be a limited support tool, but it is not a radical solution to the problem of water scarcity or to the worsening repercussions of climate change in the country.”

He stressed that “the water crisis in Iraq is complex and multifaceted, and is linked to regional factors and cross-border water policies, in addition to poor internal management, deteriorating infrastructure, and high rates of waste and pollution.”

Hashem pointed out that “focusing on cloud seeding projects as a solution to the crisis may create a misleading impression among the public that quick results can be achieved.”

He explained that climate change in Iraq “requires comprehensive national strategies that include integrated water resources management, modernization of irrigation systems, reform of agricultural policies, expansion of desalination and water treatment projects, as well as strengthening water diplomacy with neighboring countries,” indicating that “the problem is bigger than just partial technical solutions.”

Hashem concluded by saying that any technological project, including artificial rainmaking, should “be part of an integrated package of solutions based on accurate scientific studies and a realistic assessment of cost and feasibility, rather than relying on it as a sole option to confront the escalating drought crisis.”  link

Mot:  ... Just Saying!!!!

Mot: .. One Sunday Morning!!!!