Artificial rain may help combat smog by 2015  

气象局:后年或可通过“借风借雨”来驱除雾霾

近日，中国气象局印发《贯彻落实〈大气污染防治行动计划〉实施方案》。根据该方案，2015年，全国各地气象部门将形成人工影响天气改善空气质量作业能力，在重污染天气条件下能够采取可行的气象干预措施，如人工催雨等以消减雾霾。[查看全文]

(ECNS) – The China Meteorological Administration has released a plan to reduce smog with artificial rain by 2015, the Beijing News reports.

Local meteorological departments across the country will be able to intervene in the weather to create better air quality, according to the plan.

A staffer at the administration said one of the key measures to removing smog was artificial precipitation.

The measure is still in the pilot stage, and the amount of precipitation needed must still be assessed, said the staffer.

"It's just a supplementary means to combat smog at present," he added.

Poor air flow on smoggy days makes it harder to implement artificial rain, according to the staffer.

Another measure is to build "air corridors" in cities to bring in wind and blow away smog, which can be a long-term mechanism.

However, Yang Baojun, chief urban planner at the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, said an .air corridor" may be not be possible in Beijing, as its urban planning was designed to resist cold and wind.

In addition to upgrading industrial structure and applying clean energy, Beijing can reduce smog by planting more trees and protecting wetlands, Yang added.