Paper: GS – III, Subject: Science and Technology, Topic: Renewable Energy, Issue: India’s investments into SRM research.
Context:
As India faces severe climate risks, current strategies such as renewable energy, adaptation, and carbon removal are not enough to keep pace with accelerating climate impacts. Hence, new ideas like Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) are gaining attention.
Key Highlights:
What is SRM?
- Refers to technologies that cool the planet by reflecting a fraction of sunlight back into space.
- It works like the temporary cooling after volcanic eruptions due to aerosols.
- Methods include:
- Injection of aerosols into the stratosphere.
- Cloud brightening techniques.
Why SRM Matters for India:
High Climate Vulnerability:
- Agriculture and water systems are highly sensitive to monsoon changes.
- SRM could potentially reduce extreme heat, alter rainfall timing, and buffer monsoon variability.
Knowledge Gap Risks:
- Without India-specific research, deployment elsewhere could harm India such as monsoon disruption.
- India risks being a passive recipient of global SRM decisions.
Global Energy Leadership:
- India has positioned itself as a leader via International Solar Alliance and renewable energy policies.
- Investing in SRM research strengthens its global climate science credibility.
Concerns with SRM:
Unintended Effects:
- Could disrupt rainfall patterns and ecosystems.
- May reduce focus on emission reduction, shifting debate toward technological fixes.
Research vs Deployment Dilemma:
- Fear that research momentum may push premature deployment.
- Risk of decisions being made under global North dominance, marginalising Global South voices.
Need for India’s lead in research:
- Strategic Preparedness: If global governance forums decide on SRM, India must bring evidence, expertise, and a clear voice.
- Scientific Contribution: Building a knowledge base, data, and local modelling ensures India’s specific concerns such as monsoon stability are represented.
- Global South Leadership: India can offer transparent, publicly funded, inclusive research, avoiding premature commercial control by advanced economies.
- Clear guardrails: Conduct SRM research with
- Transparency in methods and data.
- Public engagement and debate.
- Separation of research from deployment commitments.
- Informed decision making: Use research to provide evidence for informed decisions, without locking into future deployment.
- Building expertise: Build a bench of experts, institutions, and policy frameworks for credible contribution.
Conclusion:
By investing now, India can safeguard its monsoon-dependent systems, build scientific credibility, and shape global governance, ensuring that climate interventions reflect the priorities of the Global South and not just the industrialised North.
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