China's role in global climate change challenge
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E-mail China Today, November 15, 2013
In recent years, international cooperation in meteorology and science education has expanded multilaterally, with China participating in numerous global initiatives such as the World Climate Research Program within the Framework of the Earth System Science Partnership, and the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP), to name but a few.
Regional cooperation plans launched by China include the Monsoon Asia Integrated Regional Study (MAIRS), which focuses on human-monsoon system interaction and to what extent human activities modulate the Asian monsoon climate, and the Northwestern Pacific Ocean Circulation and Climate Experiment (NPOCE). The Chinese National Expert Committee on Climate Change has proactively conducted academic discussions with relevant think tanks from other countries, promoting cooperation in scientific research, technology transfer, public education and information sharing.
Moreover, China carries out extensive sci-tech cooperation with the U.K., Italy, Japan and South Korea in building energy-efficient, low-carbon towns and cities and smart grids.
Foreign Aid
As a key player in the international community and under the framework of South-South Cooperation, China continues to advance foreign aid in coping with climate change. China shares its wealth of green technology and experience of developing a green economy with other developing countries and supports their capacity building for climate change adaptation.
Since 2006, the Chinese government has issued a series of foreign aid measures, and pledged to carry out pragmatic cooperation with other developing countries, prioritizing its support in areas such as agriculture, health care, clean energy, environmental protection, safe drinking water, human resource development and the construction of meteorological infrastructure.
The Chinese government has provided over 800 batches of aid materials to nearly 100 countries, including wind and solar power systems, lighting systems, mobile power supplies, methane equipment, waste disposal trucks, and irrigation and drainage facilities. In order to help, in particular, African countries, enhance meteorological infrastructure construction and improve forest protection and management, China will focus on building automatic meteorological stations, upper-air observation radar stations and forest protection facilities in the region.
In addition, the Chinese government has set up agricultural technology demonstration centers in 17 Asian and African countries and sent experts to those countries for training and technology promotion.
In terms of clean energy, China helps construct small hydropower stations, wind power stations and agricultural methane stations. Examples in this regard include the water conservancy project in Afghanistan, the installation of solar panels and solar water heating systems in Morocco and Lebanon, the water resource exploration and urban water supply project in Niger and the dry farming technology demonstration project in Congo.
China’s efforts have effectively promoted environmental protection and relieved the power shortage for agricultural production in those countries. In terms of technological cooperation, China has implemented 47 climate change-related technological cooperation projects in 43 countries.
So far over 30 Chinese agricultural technology teams are working in recipient countries. There are over 60 Chinese medical teams with more than 1,300 doctors working in 57 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
While providing material and technological aid, China also helps developing countries in personnel training. Since 2006, China has organized 134 training classes in dealing with climate change, offering guidance to nearly 4,000 officials and technicians.
The education program covers wide areas, including the development and utilization of renewable energy, small-scale hydrotechnology, forestry management, desertification prevention and control, and clean energy training. Many officials that have participated in such training have gone on to become the backbone in their departments, and made contributions to tackling the challenge of climate change.
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