Why cannot cloud seeding cause or end a drought when there are no clouds?

Cloud seeding cannot cause or end a drought when there are no clouds because the process is not a method of creating water or generating weather; rather, it is a technique used to modify existing clouds.12

The fundamental purpose of cloud seeding is to introduce substances, such as silver iodide or dry ice, into clouds that are already present to act as condensation or ice nuclei. These substances encourage the formation or growth of ice crystals and raindrops within clouds that might otherwise remain stable and not produce precipitation.12

Because the process relies entirely on the presence of existing cloud formations, it is ineffective in clear skies. Furthermore, even when clouds are present, seeding is most successful under specific atmospheric conditions where natural precipitation is already probable. Consequently, during severe droughts—which are often characterized by a lack of cloud cover or atmospheric conditions unsuitable for rain—cloud seeding offers no mechanism to produce water.123