Adapting to Climate Change in China

1. Adapting to Climate Change in China

2. Northwest: Desertification (higher evaporation) North and northeast: Increased water scarcity Coastal regions: Typhoons, storm surge and long-term inundation Tibetan Plateau: Change in river flows / melting glaciers Southern China: Increase in flood frequency and magnitude; northwards spread of “tropical” disease vectors

3. Timeline: Policy, Strategies, and Planning • 1995 - National Climate Centre in China Met Office established • 1998 - policy shift from scientific issue to development issue • 1999 - established climate coordination group • 2001 to 2005, 10th 5 Year National R&D project on Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change on Chinese Key Vulnerable Sectors and Adaptation. • 2004- first national communication to UNFCCC • 2006 - first-ever National Assessment Report on Climate Change (NARCC). • 2006 - climate change coordination group housed at NDRC • 2007 - establishment of provincial co- ordination groups • 2008 - State Council Information Office published the first annual white paper, entitled “China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change 2008”(CPAACC) - prepared by NDRC • 2009 - Jiangxi and Xiamen establish climate change monitoring/assessment centres • 2011 - second National Assessment Report on Climate Change (NARCC). • 2011 - White paper on Foreign Aid, 2011- Coping with Climate Change • 2011 - 12th 5 Year Plan (5YP) including a chapter on climate change and specific section on adaptation for the first time; mandating the development of a National Adaptation Strategy (NAS).

4. Formulating/Operationalizing Policy National Government

6. Ongoing Challenges • Lack of regional climate models • Limited access to climate data • Knowledge gaps for sector-specific impacts • No coherent framework for doing climate vulnerability and risk assessments, and adaptation planning • Limited collaboration among institutions/sectors • Working across disciplines without shared glossary

7. Adapting to Climate Change in China (ACCC) Sharing Knowledge Globally ACCC is major China – UK – Swiss climate change adaptation project which aims to: • Develop accurate regional/national climate models • Integrate physical and social science to improve impacts, vulnerability and risk assessment in: • Agriculture • Water resources • Extreme weather / disaster risk reduction • Public health • Grasslands-livestock • Incorporate planned adaptation into national and provincial development processes • Contribute to global knowledge on climate impacts and adaptation especially in developing countries.

8. Adapting to Climate Change in China (ACCC) Sharing Knowledge Globally ACCC is major China – UK – Swiss climate change adaptation project which aims to support China’s national and provincial response to climate impacts through: • Provision of robust impact assessment data • Methods for Assessing Risk and Vulnerability • Promoting understanding and managing risk in development planning • Building awareness and capacity • Sharing this knowledge and experience globally

9. Contributing to Global Climate Policy and Knowledge Adapting to Climate Change in China (ACCC) has contributed & supported: • filling the global knowledge gap on approaches for reducing vulnerability to climate impacts through submissions to the IPCC SREX report, AR5 and international academic journals. • the formulation and drafting of China’s National Adaptation Strategy (due to be submitted to State Council October 2012 and ratified in March 2013). • the development of global climate policy on adaptation through participation and submission of research findings and policy recommendations at Rio+20, Nairobi Work Programme (inc. Focal Point Session COP17, Water technical meeting in Mexico), UNFCCC Losses & Damages Expert Working Group under SBI and Asia Adaptation Platform meeting. • the development of a robust evidence base for building large scale South-South projects on climate change adaption through a major scoping study in 10 target countries in Africa, Asia and the SIDS

10. Inner Mongolia Pilot Provinces NingXia Guangdong

12. Policy Integration - national adaptation strategy Climate Risk Assessments Identification of options: integration with dev. goals Climate Science Downscaling GCM to RCM and new climate scenarios Scoping studies Analysis and Evaluation of Options, Prioritization Provincial Adaptation Roadmaps Monitoring and Evaluation Integrated Vulnerability Assessments Sharing and dissemination of climate data Impact assessments ACCC Adaptation Framework Key Sectors: • Agriculture • Water • Grasslands • Health • DRR Integration: Physical and socio-economic dimensions Stakeholder Engagement

13. National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) Priority Areas: • Capacity Building • Legislation • Planning • Warning Systems • Natural Disaster Prevention and International Co-operation Focus Areas: • Agriculture • Water • Forest • Coastal Areas • Health • Ecosystems • Infrastructure and Energy Security

14. International responsibility, UNFCCC NDRC: Design national climate change adaptation strategy Effective adaptation options identifiedand available Sufficient knowledge and informationavailable ACCC Project: research, communication, training, stakeholders engagement, sufficient expertise and policy makers Climate disasters and risks, economic losses ACCC Project: Facilitates and Enables NAS CAAS and CRCPP have been appointed by NDRC to draft “China’s Climate Change Adaptation Mid-to-Long Term Strategy” Design provincial adaptation plans options Provincial-level teams contributed to “12th five-year plan”

15. International Sharing

16. ACCC in Numbers • 10 countries in the South-South Scoping Study • 7+ contributing Authors on the IPCC SREX • 6 UN and multilateral initiatives that ACCC is active within • X Journal Articles published on ACCC work • X Capacity Building activities delivered • 3 Regionally Downscaled Climate Models • 3 Provincial *Insert the stage* • 1 National Adaptation Strategy

17. Thank You! www.ccadaptation.org