Africa’s future climate could be shaped by decisions made elsewhere. To ensure that solar radiation modification (SRM) technologies, if ever pursued, reflect principles of justice and local priorities, African researchers are calling for the continent to move from passive recipient to active leader in SRM research, governance, and public engagement.
Published in Nature Climate Change, the Comment co-authored by Kwesi Akumenyi Quagraine, Babatunde J. Abiodun, and Samuel Essien-Baidoo underscores the risks of excluding Africa from global discussions on climate interventions. SRM — which involves reflecting sunlight to cool the planet — could have uneven regional impacts, particularly on rainfall and monsoon systems that underpin African agriculture.
“The future of SRM in Africa must be decided through African leadership, scrutiny and governance, ensuring any research or deployment respects African priorities and sovereignty,” the authors write.
While SRM remains uncertain and controversial, African scientists stress that the greater danger lies in ignorance — in being unprepared to respond if other nations move forward with experimentation or policy without Africa’s input.
The paper calls for:
- The creation of a regional SRM policy forum under the African Union.
- Position statements led by African negotiators to shape global SRM governance.
- Investment in cross-disciplinary capacity, combining climate modelling, social science, and policy expertise.
