SRMGI/Degrees and CEEW partner again in Delhi
On 29 November 2016, the Council on Energy Environment and Water (CEEW), in partnership with SRMGI (the Degrees Initiative), hosted a workshop on SRM geoengineering in Delhi, India. This was the second workshop to be held in partnership between SRMGI and CEEW, following a workshop in September 2011 – the first developing country workshop ever co-organised by SRMGI.
Following the standard SRMGI/Degrees format, the Delhi workshop involved presentations and discussions on climate change, on the potential impacts of SRM, and the latest research from the sciences and social sciences.
The workshop was opened by Dr Arunabha Ghosh, founder and CEO of CEEW, and member of the 2010 SRMGI working group. Reminding the participants of the multiple threats of climate change and the risks of a global technology like SRM geoengineering, Dr Ghosh made the case for further critical consideration of SRM in India.
The opening session consisted of three presentations, as Prof Govindasamy Bala of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, Andy Parker of SRMGI/Degrees and the IASS Potsdam, and Prof Saroj Mishra of IISc, provided an introduction to SRM geoengineering. Profs Bala and Mishra are two of the most experienced SRM modellers in India and their presentations outlined the state of SRM science, including projected impacts on temperatures, precipitation and extreme weather.
Discussing the state of research around Asia
Following a group Q&A, the day’s second session focused on research around Asia. Prof Rodel Lasco of the Oscar M Lopez Center (Philippines), Prof Chen Ying of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Dr Shinichiro Asayama of the National Institute for Environmental Studies (Japan), and Dr Nanda Kumar Janardhanan of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (India), each gave updates on the state of SRM research in their respective countries, also presenting the results of their own research.
In the afternoon session the workshop began to focus on governance, and in particular the most immediate challenge: how research can be governed and the role that developing countries can play. After presentations from Arunabha Ghosh, Andy Parker and Aditya Nalam (Indian Institute for Science), participants broke up into two groups to explore general attitudes to SRM and its development, and potential next steps for India and research governance.
Looking ahead
For the final session of the day, Dr Vaibhav Chaturvedi of CEEW moderated a discussion where Arunabha Ghosh, Chen Ying and Shinichiro Asayama shared their views on the next stages with Asian engagement with SRM research and its governance.
Speakers
- Dr Shinichiro Asayama (National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan)
- Prof. Govindasamy Bala (Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore)
- Dr Vaibhav Chaturvedi (Council on Energy, Environment and Water)
- Prof. Ying Chen (Institute for Urban and Social Environmental Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)
- Dr Arunabha Ghosh (Council on Energy, Environment and Water)
- Dr Nanda Kumar Janardhanan (Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan)
- Prof. Rodel Lasco (World Agroforestry Centre – ICRAF / Oscar M Lopez Center, Philippines)
- Prof. Saroj Kanta Mishra (Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi)
- Aditya Nalam (Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore)
- Andy Parker (SRMGI/the Degrees Initiative)