China's climate adaptation strategy underlined
- By Liu Hui
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E-mail China.org.cn, January 19, 2016
An event centered on the "Global Programme of Research on Climate Change: Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA)" kicked off in Beijing on January 16, as a group of Chinese climate experts gathered to talk about China's strategy of climate change adaptation and Country Level Impacts of Climate Change (CLICC).
Zhang Shigang, country coordinator for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) highlighted that PROVIA is a global initiative which helps the international community share practical experience and research findings concerning vulnerability, impacts and adaptation (VIA). Additionally, the CLICC focuses on the communication of scientific evidence available in countries which enables consistency and transparency on climate change.
Professor Xu Yinglong, member of the PROVIA Scientific Steering Committee, delivered a keynote speech regarding China's experience in climate adaptation.
According to Xu, China has made strides to adapt to global climate change based on scientific research in a well-organized way since 2004, including adjusting the country's agricultural structure as well as controlling soil erosion and the problems of an encroaching desert.
Xu said that proposals on critical issues concerning agricultural adaptation in China are under study. For example, China took advantage of its coldest northeastern region to grow more plants, as the northern boundary of the one-cropping system and winter wheat shifted due to rising outdoor temperatures.
Back in 2012, the armyworm wreaked havoc on the North China Plain, once a fine place for China to grow cotton. The situation definitely changed as cotton moved to a processing plant in Aksu, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. "Mulching cotton and keeping it warm by means of the adaptation theory is the key to planting the newly harvested cotton," explained Xu.
"If there is no successful adaptation in developing countries, there will no successful migration all over the world," stressed Xu. More efforts were required in China, as it needed to adopt a more active strategy to minimize losses caused by shifts in global climate.
"Adaption is perhaps the best way we can address the pressing issue of climate change, on the condition that we know more about the impacts of climate change at the country level," said Professor Jiang Tong, chief scientist for the Country Level Impacts of Climate Change (CLICC) Program in China.
Professor Jiang said that a realistic and inclusive set of technical guidelinesfor a wider application on climate change should be established worldwide. The latest available data and resources should be shared among countries, while individual countries need to reaffirm the CLICC's principles of maintaining country-control and minimizing additional burden to other countries.
The meeting attracted almost 200 people, including Mr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, science counselor for the Pakistan Embassy in China, who called for more governmental actions and cooperation between China and Pakistan on climate change.
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