How does enhanced rock weathering actually help vulnerable communities adapt?
Enhanced rock weathering works by spreading crushed silicate rock (like basalt) on soil, where it reacts with CO₂ and water to sequester carbon and release nutrients. For vulnerable farming communities, the key benefit is improved soil health and crop productivity, which directly strengthens their ability to withstand climate shocks [3]. A 2023 global modeling study found that ERW becomes 'modestly more effective with global warming' and that the payback period for deployment is significantly shorter in hot and humid environments — which are precisely the areas that currently coincide with relatively low per-capita incomes [1]. This means the communities most exposed to climate risk could see the fastest returns from ERW adoption.
Where does ERW work best, and who benefits most?
The evidence points to a clear geographic and economic pattern: ERW's effectiveness is highest in tropical and subtropical regions, which are home to many low- and lower-middle-income countries. A 2026 projection study using technology diffusion models found that while high-income countries lead early deployment, countries like India and Brazil will overtake them by mid-century due to accelerated uptake and favorable biophysical conditions [3]. The share of carbon removal from low- and lower-middle-income countries is projected to rise from 20–29% in 2040 to about 60% by 2100 [3]. This shift matters because these same communities are often the most socially vulnerable to climate hazards — a 2023 U.S. assessment found that agricultural communities with high social vulnerability suffer disproportionately from flood and drought damage, with over $1 billion in crop losses concentrated in California alone [4]. ERW offers these communities a way to simultaneously improve soil resilience and participate in carbon removal markets.
What are the real-world limitations and risks?
Despite its promise, ERW is not a quick fix. The same 2023 global study that highlighted ERW's potential also found that 'a significant fraction of applied basalt does not weather even on a multidecadal timescale,' meaning that much of the rock dust sits in the soil without reacting [1]. This underscores the need to optimize application strategies for cost effectiveness — simply spreading rock dust everywhere is not enough. Additionally, a 2024 study on extreme weather definitions found that current thresholds used for early action and preparedness do not capture the actual impacts experienced by vulnerable communities, such as women in informal settlements in Nairobi [2]. This gap means that even if ERW improves soil health, adaptation strategies must also be tailored to local experiences of climate risk. Urban farming with ERW, proposed as a 'climate stabilization wedge,' could unlock extensive surface areas like roofs and balconies, but this approach is still in early stages and requires further research [5].
About These Sources
This answer is built on 5 peer-reviewed studies — published from 2021 to 2026, 2 from 2024 or later, 3 in Q1 journals, collectively cited 128 times — selected as the most relevant from 5 studies that passed quality screening, drawn from 31 papers retrieved from a database of over 500 million.
Sources used in this answer
Impact of Climate on the Global Capacity for Enhanced Rock Weathering on Croplands
Using a 1-D reactive transport model with climate simulations across ~1,000 agricultural sites, this study found that applying 10 tons of basalt per hectare could sequester 64 gigatons of CO₂ over 75 years globally, but a significant fraction of basalt does not weather even on multidecadal timescales, and ERW is most effective in hot, humid, low-income regions.
Extreme weather should be defined according to impacts on climate-vulnerable communities
Based on longitudinal monthly survey data from 800 women in two informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, this study found that current meteorological definitions of extreme weather events do not capture the health, economic, and social impacts experienced by vulnerable communities, and that self-reported impact data could help redefine thresholds.
Scaling up enhanced rock weathering for equitable climate change mitigation
Using historical technology diffusion analogs and a coupled human–nature feedback model, this study projected that ERW could remove 0.35–0.76 Gt CO₂/year by 2050 and 0.7–1.1 Gt CO₂/year by 2100, with low- and lower-middle-income countries' share rising from 20–29% in 2040 to ~60% by 2100, driven by accelerated uptake in countries like India and Brazil.
Social vulnerability and climate risk assessment for agricultural communities in the United States
This nationwide U.S. assessment combined social vulnerability indicators with flood and drought exposure data, identifying the 30 most socially vulnerable agricultural counties and estimating over $1 billion in crop damage, with California counties (Mendocino, Sonoma, Humboldt) facing the highest drought exposure and combined risk.
Urban Farming with Enhanced Rock Weathering As a Prospective Climate Stabilization Wedge
This viewpoint advocates incorporating enhanced rock weathering into urban farming (roofs, balconies, vertical spaces) as a complementary climate stabilization measure, arguing that urban surfaces offer extensive areas for soil-based carbon sequestration.