Climate solutions
Aerosol Effects on Radiation and Clouds
This diagram shows how aerosols influence climate through both direct and indirect effects. The direct effect occurs when aerosol particles scatter or absorb incoming solar radiation, reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches Earth’s surface. The indirect effect occurs when aerosols interact with clouds by increasing the number of cloud droplets while making each droplet smaller. This increases the cloud’s ability to reflect sunlight and can also reduce precipitation. This figure is relevant to Korea’s global dimming issue because it shows how aerosols can weaken surface solar radiation and disturb the water cycle, which may increase drought risk and affect agriculture.
Climate Adaptation and Managed Emission Reduction
This graph shows changes in temperature anomaly over time, divided into periods of early brightening, dimming, and later brightening. The dimming period suggests that increased aerosol pollution reduced the amount of solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface, partially masking the warming caused by greenhouse gases. However, the later brightening period shows that when aerosol levels decrease, more sunlight can reach the surface again. This is important because reducing aerosols too quickly may improve air quality but also reveal hidden warming, creating the risk of faster surface temperature increases.
Climate Adaptation and Managed Emission Reduction
To address the climate impacts of global dimming, Korea requires both climate adaptation and carefully managed emission reduction strategies. Since reduced solar radiation can weaken the water cycle and increase drought risk, adaptive measures such as drought-resistant crops, improved water-use efficiency, and climate-resilient agriculture planning are important for protecting long-term food security. The UNDP [United Nations Development Programme] also emphasizes that resilient food systems require policy coordination, nature-based solutions, and cooperation among multiple stakeholders. At the same time, aerosol reduction should be gradual and coordinated with greenhouse gas reduction, because a rapid decline in aerosols could weaken the masking effect of global dimming and unintentionally accelerate surface warming. Therefore, Korea needs a balanced strategy that reduces harmful aerosols, limits greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthens climate resilience.