Teams from Jamaica, Nigeria, Mali and Uganda, who first received Degrees grants in 2023, have been awarded more funding to continue their research for another two years.
The researchers model how the physical impacts of solar radiation modification (SRM) could affect their local climate, ecosystems and economy, in comparison to the impacts of ongoing climate change.
The teams receiving extended funding are:
Jamaica 2023
Principal investigator: Dr Leonardo Clarke
Host institution: University of the West Indies
The Jamaica 2023 team is researching how SRM might affect the Caribbean’s renewable energy capacity. Building on a previous project (2018-2021) that evaluated how SRM might affect temperature and rainfall patterns, the team has published a paper on the effects of SRM and climate change on wind and solar generation in the Caribbean. They are now refining their analyses to an island scale, focusing on Jamaica, where national energy planning documents call for an accelerated expansion of solar and wind generation.
Nigeria 2023
Principal investigator: Prof. Vincent Olarenwaju Ajayi
Host institution: Federal University of Technology, Akure
Climate change is projected to increase temperature and unpredictable rainfall in West Africa, with negative impacts on a wide range of crops in the region. The Nigeria 2023 team explore how different crop types – such as cereals, legumes, horticulture and roots and tubers – will react to different temperature scenarios, both with and without the use of SRM. Their first paper assesses the effect of SRM on agroclimatic indices in Africa.
Uganda 2023
Principal investigator: Dr Bob Alex Ogwang
Host institution: Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA)
Millions of people across East Africa rely on rain-fed agriculture for their survival and are under increasing stress due to the effects of climate change. The Uganda 2023 team explore how SRM might affect seasonal and intra-seasonal rainfall and temperatures, compared to the changes brought about by a shifting climate. Their first paper analyses the implications of SRM on the rainfall and temperature patterns over the Eastern Africa region.
Mali 2023
Principal investigator: Dr Amadou Coulibaly
Host institution: Institut Polytechnique Rural de Formation et de Recherche Appliquée (IPR/IFRA)
West African countries are highly vulnerable to climate extremes such as droughts, floods, and heat stress. The Mali 2023 team model the impact of SRM on droughts from meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological perspectives, providing regional policymakers and stakeholders with valuable information to support their participation in future international scientific and policy debates.
