The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) yesterday
announced the completion of a national climate observation network
to help mitigate global warming.
CMA director Zheng Guoguang said the network would collect
accurate information about climate change.
"Climate change is threatening the environment, state security
and economic development," Zheng said.
Responding to a UN plan, China's first climate observation
network was set up in 1997. Seven departments - meteorology, water
affairs, agriculture, environmental protection, forestry, ocean and
scientific research - joined the network.
The network set up 16 key observation areas, Zhang Renhe,
director of the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences
Director, said.
These are: Atmosphere and land systems in the Qinghai-Tibetan
plateau, glacier; water and ecological systems in the Tianshan
Mountain area; Xilingol pastures in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous
Region; Dunhuang desert in Gansu Province; forests in Northeast
China; water circulation systems in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces;
agriculture in the Yellow and Huaihe river basins; the lakes of
Dongting and Poyang; the atmosphere around Mount Waliguan in
Qinghai Province; ecological systems in source regions of the
Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers; the economic belt around
Beijing; economic development zones in the Yangtze and Pearl river
deltas; Sichuan Basin; the land-ocean-atmosphere system around
Bohai Sea; air-sea interaction in the South China Sea; and
comprehensive oceanic observations.
By observation and data processing, the network should provide
data about temperatures, glaciers, frozen soil, accumulated snow,
aerosoles, greenhouse gases, ozone, plant and soil.
"This data can help China predict natural disasters, strengthen
forecasts of extreme weather events and be more adaptable when it
comes to industrial projects," Zheng said.
A National Climate Change Program was released in
June, which pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions, but with no
specific goals.
(China Daily September 12, 2007)
