The Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China has released the “2024 China Progress Report on Climate Change Adaptation”, providing an overview of the measures taken to strengthen resilience in the face of growing climate risks. According to the report, China has taken steps in enhancing climate monitoring and early warning, improving natural ecosystems, building socio-economic resilience, and deepening international cooperation. It states the country’s intention to integrate climate adaptation into its national governance and to contribute to global climate solutions.
Global climate risks on the rise
Driven by long-term warming and the El Niño phenomenon, China experienced significant climate anomalies in 2024. These included unusually warm and wet conditions, as well as more frequent extreme weather events such as typhoons, cold waves, and tornadoes. The impacts have threatened food security, public safety, and economic stability.
Extreme weather events have caused considerable economic losses and are cited in the report as evidence supporting the case for enhanced climate adaptation strategies.
Monitoring, early warning, and risk management
According to the report, China has improved its climate monitoring and early warning capabilities. The country established its first overseas atmospheric baseline station in Antarctica, along with new greenhouse gas monitoring sites and urban observatories, aiming to create an integrated observation network covering the atmosphere, oceans, land, and cryosphere. The report mentions high-resolution climate projection datasets as tools for localised risk assessments, and highlights the use of rapid event attribution technologies for analysing the causes of extreme weather events like heatwaves and cold spells. Additionally, the National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction, and Relief was established, described in the report as a step toward enhanced disaster coordination. In response to major events like floods, droughts, and typhoons, multiple emergency operations with expert teams were deployed to affected regions.
Measures to support resilient ecosystems
The report describes measures taken in the past year to advance ecosystem resilience, such as improved water resource management, forest and grassland restoration, desertification control, and marine and coastal protection. For instance, the report states that over-extraction of groundwater declined by 31.9% and the area of mangrove forests expanded, which is reported as a 38% increase since the early 2000s. In addition, 171 ecological monitoring stations and more than 15,000 sampling plots were set up.
Efforts to improve socio-economic resilience
The report outlines the measures taken by the Chinese government to strengthen socio-economic resilience in areas such as agriculture, public health, urban environments and industry.
- Agriculture: Reported figures show grain output increased by 1.6%, and yield per unit area rose by 1.3%. Water-saving irrigation now covers 63.8 million hectares of farmland.
- Public health: The National Climate Change and Health Adaptation Action Plan (2024–2030) has been published and the National Expert Committee on Climate Change and Health was established. The report states that surveillance for climate-sensitive diseases such as dengue fever and malaria was expanded and a national climate-health risk zoning system was introduced.
- Urban adaptation: 39 pilot climate-resilient cities were launched and more than 900 urban flood-prone sites were upgraded, along with 163,000 kilometers of drainage infrastructure. Framed as part of efforts to improve flood management and water resilience, the sponge city project was expanded to 60 cities.
- Industry adaptation: The power grid maintained a reliability rate of 99.924%, with reported improvements in disaster response. Financial institutions conducted climate risk stress tests and developed flood and typhoon catastrophe insurance products. The transport sector strengthened disaster prevention for highways, railways, airports, and seaports, and the tourism sector launched climate-resilient initiatives, including the establishment of climate-health demonstration zones.
Regional and sectoral coordination
According to the report, all provinces have formulated climate adaptation action plans based on their regional characteristics: The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau focused on monitoring permafrost and protecting fragile ecosystems, while the Yellow River Basin accelerated the development of ecological corridors with the aim to strengthen natural defenses. Coastal regions reported an improved marine and land use, relocating offshore aquaculture further from the coast, which is described as a measure to reduce disaster risk.
Strengthening the adaptation support system
To support climate adaptation in various sectors, several overarching and coordinative functions have been strengthened according to the report.
- Financial mechanisms: Green loans reached 36.6 trillion yuan, marking a 21.7% increase over the previous year. Outstanding green bonds stood at 2.09 trillion yuan, with cumulative issuance exceeding 4.1 trillion yuan. The report mentions the introduction of a number of financial products, including wetland biodiversity protection insurance and flood catastrophe insurance. Additionally, corporate climate disclosure standards were launched with the stated aim to improve transparency and accountability.
- Science and technology support: China launched the “Langya” Ocean Model1 aimed at enhancing forecasting of ocean conditions. Adaptive research was conducted in key river basins such as the Yangtze Estuary and the Yellow River Source to support informed water management and ecosystem protection.
- Public awareness and education: The public safety program “If Disasters Strike” reached 318 million viewers, with more than 81 million views online. Educational campaigns on disaster preparedness, climate-related health risks, and ecological protection were carried out in an effort to raise public awareness.
- International cooperation: China launched its program “Early Warning for Climate Adaptation,” which supports countries such as Pakistan with climate monitoring and early warning systems. The country also worked to strengthen its bilateral and multilateral partnerships with the EU, the UK, Central Asia, and other regions. At COP29, China introduced its “China Action Plan on Climate Adaptation through Early Warning,” intending to share its domestic approach in the context of broader international climate adaptation discussions
Conclusion: China’s climate adaptation intentions
The report concludes by outlining China’s intention to accelerate efforts to strengthen climate monitoring and early warning, enhance the resilience of ecosystems and socio-economic systems, and expand support mechanisms through finance, technology, and public engagement.
Through deepening international cooperation and embedding climate adaptation into its national governance framework, China states its intention to safeguard its ecological and development security while aiming to actively contribute to global climate governance.
Reference
