Federal Weather Modification Efforts Need Congressional Attention

Gao ID: CED-80-5 November 1, 1979

A coordinated approach to weather modification programs has never been established. Focusing on rainfall augmentation, GAO reviewed the general problems associated with current weather modification programs.

GAO found that there was no national weather modification policy. No central authority directed the programs. Coordination has been ineffective, and research was fragmented. The lack of integrated planning and coordination has inhibited progress toward a rainfall augmentation program. An earlier GAO report recommended development of a national program with goals, objectives, priorities, and milestones; and the designation of a central administrative agency. These recommendations were not carried out. The Weather Modification Advisory Board, agreeing with those recommendations, proposed: a Congressional statement of national weather modification policy; and a clearly focused, integrated research and development program on learning more about how to modify the weather.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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