Researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico develop a tool to model the local impacts of geoengineering

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A team of researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate Change at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), supported by funding from the Degrees Modelling Fund, has developed a tool to model the impacts that geoengineering interventions would have in Mexico and other countries in the Global South.

Geoengineering consists of measures to reduce global temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels, for example, by releasing particles into the atmosphere that reflect solar radiation.

“While geoengineering can modulate global temperature, the tropics are highly vulnerable to changes in precipitation as a side effect,” says Rodrigo Muñoz, co-author of the study. “As our countries are heavily dependent on traditional activities such as subsistence agriculture, it is essential to understand how these measures could affect us.”

The study consists of a tool that will allow researchers in the Global South to model their own scenarios and study the changes in temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity that would arise from geoengineering interventions. This will enable them to continue evaluating the impacts on specific sectors such as biodiversity, energy, agriculture, water, and others that affect the prosperity of Mexicans.

One of the key findings is that if the world decided to implement geoengineering, tropical countries could be subject to intensified droughts and torrential rains in different countries.

“The impacts vary greatly in different regions, even within the same country, so it is important to investigate the different ways in which geoengineering could affect our livelihoods,” says Rodrigo Muñoz.

The authors of the study point out that the best tool for combating climate change is and will continue to be a just transition that involves a rapid reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across all productive sectors. “We should not view geoengineering as an easy way out, but we need to be aware of the possible consequences of these measures given the tense global geopolitical scenario in which we live.”

The complete study is availabe at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05496-6

Article translated from Spanish with DeepL, proofread by a human

Article published originally in Spanish in the ICAyCC-UNAM’s Climate and Society Research Group website. Clima y Sociedad