To make a first assessment on the implementation of the National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change 2035, China’s Ministry of Ecology and the Environment (MEE) issued a progress report on China’s climate change adaptation on June 2, which systematically summarizes the achievements of China’s adaptation to climate change since 2022.
The report shows the achievements of China’s climate adaptation in the following areas:
- Improved policy system for climate adaptation: Since the strategy was issued in June 2022, 24 provinces have formulated their provincial action programs for climate adaptation, and 80 national policies focusing on 12 specific aspects of climate adaptation have been released.
- Strengthened climate change monitoring, early warning and risk management: An integrated meteorological observation system has been set up, an emergency response mechanism led by meteorological warnings has been developed, risk management for natural disasters has been improved and a technical guide for climate influence assessments have been drafted.
- Enhanced adaptation capacity of ecosystems: Regarding water resources, a tax reform and national water network projects have been implemented to strengthen water conservation and ecological protection. For the terrestrial ecosystem, comprehensive monitoring and evaluation have been undertaken and major projects for ecological protection and restoration have been constructed. The ecological quality of oceans and coastal zones has been greatly improved by building early warning and assessment systems for coastal ecosystem disasters.
- Enhanced adaptation capacity of economic and social systems: In the area of agriculture and food security, cropping patterns have been optimised in line with local circumstances. The climate resilience of agro-ecosystems has been greatly improved by promoting new irrigation and agrochemical using technologies as well as increased financial subsidies for agricultural insurance. For public health, an early warning and prevention system for climate-sensitive diseases has been built. To adapt the infrastructure, traffic and flood control facilities systems withstanding extreme weather conditions have been built and pilot projects for climate-resilient city buildings have been implemented. Climate-sensitive industries such as energy, electricity supply and tourism have improved their risk management for climate change.
- Spatial planning for climate adaptation: Climate adaptation actions for vulnerable areas including the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, the Yellow River basin, the Yangtze River Economic Belt area as well as the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei area have been undertaken according to local circumstances.
The report also underlines the crucial role of finance, technology, human resources and international cooperation as four main support tools for climate change adaptation.
Overall, the report comes to the conclusion that China has achieved very good results in adaptation to climate change in key areas. As a next step, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment aims to further improve the policy system for climate adaptation, actively expand international cooperation and contribute to enhancing the global capacity for climate adaptation with China’s proposals.
