To tackle the severe droughts and water shortages that plague the country, Kazakhstan has resorted to cloud seeding, a weather modification method previously unseen in Central Asia. Kazakh authorities are betting on cloud seeding to reduce the impact of drought and water shortages in its southern Turkestan region, the country's leading cotton-growing region. Kazakhstan's cloud-seeding trials raised alarm in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan where fears were flagged of "cloud theft" -- alleging that rain clouds could be diverted to Kazakhstan, aggravating its own drought. - Cloud seeding shortfalls -The effects of boosting rainfall through cloud seeding remain uncertain, its consequences difficult to measure, and its large-scale application costly. Neighbouring Uzbekistan has also expressed interest in the method and is looking at trialing its own cloud seeding project.