Integrating climate change adaptation with territorial spatial planning, 17 departments issue National Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation 2035

Recently, 17 national departments including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Health and Wellness Commission, the Ministry of Emergency Management, the People's Bank of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the China Meteorological Administration, the National Energy Administration, the State Forestry and Grassland Administration jointly issued the National Adaptation Strategy 2035 (hereinafter referred to as the Adaptation Strategy 2035) to make comprehensive planning and deployment of climate change adaptation work from the present to 2035.

Guided by Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization, the Adaptation Strategy 2035 comprehensively implements the spirit of the 19^th Party Congress and the 19^th Plenary Sessions, fully, accurately and comprehensively implements the new development concept, integrates development and security, implements a national strategy to actively respond to climate change, adheres to the importance of both mitigation and adaptation, seizes the opportunity to carry out solid work on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, fully integrates climate change adaptation into the overall economic and social development, promotes the modernization of the governance system and capacity for climate change adaptation, strengthen the climate resilience of natural ecosystems and socioeconomic systems, build a regional framework for climate change adaptation, effectively respond to the negative impacts and risks of climate change, reduce and mitigate losses from extreme weather and climate events and disasters, and help build an ecological civilization, a beautiful China and a high-quality economic development.

Based on an in-depth assessment of the risks of climate change impacts and the basis, challenges, as well as opportunities of climate change adaptation work, the Adaptation Strategy 2035 puts forward the guiding ideology, fundamental principles and main objectives of China's climate change adaptation work in the new phase, and further clarifies the key areas, regional framework and safeguard measures of China's climate change adaptation work. The Adaptation Strategy 2035 specifies that between now and 2035, adaptation to climate change should adhere to the fundamental principles of "adapting proactively, prevention-oriented, adapting scientifically, responding to nature, adapting systematically, highlighting priorities, adapating collaboratively and joint management", and proposes that "By 2035, the capacity of climate change monitoring and early warning will reach the international advanced level, the climate risk management and prevention system will be generally mature, the risk of major climate-related disasters will be effectively prevented and controlled, the technical system and standard system for climate change adaptation will be further completed, the capacity of the whole society to adapt to climate change will be significantly improved, and a climate-adapted society will generally be established."

Compared to the 2013 National Adaptation Strategy for Climate Change, the Adaptation Strategy 2035 has four new features: First, it gives more prominence to climate change monitoring and early warning and risk management, proposing tasks and initiatives including improving climate change observation networks, strengthening climate change monitoring and prediction and early warning, enhancing climate change impact and risk assessment, and strengthening comprehensive disaster prevention and mitigation. Second, it defines the natural ecosystem and economic and social system as two dimensions, specifying adaptation tasks in key areas such as water resources, terrestrial ecosystems, oceans and coastal zones, agriculture and food security, health and public health, infrastructure and major engineering projects, cities and human settlements, and sensitive second and third industries. Third, it builds a regional framework to adapt to climate change from multiple levels, considers the regional differences in climate change and the risks and impacts with it, proposes climate change adaptation tasks that covers the eight major regions and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Yangtze River Economic Belt, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Yangtze River Delta, Yellow River Basin and other major strategic regions. Fourth, it pays more attention to mechanism building and sectoral coordination, and further strengthens the organization and implementation, financial and fiscal support, scientific and technological support, capacity building, international cooperation and other safeguard measures.

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment will work with relevant departments for the organizational work and implementation of the Adaptation Strategy 2035, strengthen coordination and communication, enhance information sharing and support, and promote the continuous strengthening of climate change adaptation actions in various fields and localities to improve China's capacity to adapt to climate change.

Source: <https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/gjZNKNUauWuwK9Ql305QFg>

Translated by Fan Junyi