China's Sky River gamble reveals the elusive promise and peril of cloud-seeding climate engineering

Live Science explains that China’s ambitious Sky River cloud-seeding plan aimed to create a permanent atmospheric river to divert monsoon rainfall from the Tibetan Plateau into northern basins as part of a mega water-transfer effort. Scientists warned the concept is scientifically unworkable because cloud seeding can only enhance existing precipitation, not conjure rain from dry air, and it could carry regional risks and geopolitical tensions. The plan was scaled back and largely dropped from official messaging, yet the episode illustrates Beijing’s willingness to deploy large-scale weather modification in pursuit of water security and climate goals, provoking ongoing debate about the feasibility and governance of geoengineering.