With the support of the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of the Environmental Protection and China Meteorological Administration, the High-Level Roundtable on Strategy of Extreme Climate Adaptation in China was jointly organized by Global Water Partnership China, Asian Development Bank and Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on April 22, 2011 in Beijing with the co-sponsors of UNESCO Office Beijing, UNICEF Office for China, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), WWF Beijing Office, Research Center on Flood and Drought Disaster Reduction of the Ministry of Water Resources and Climate Change Research Center of the Ministry of Water Resources and 130 participants from the key water-related ministries under the State Council, and relevant departments of the Ministry of Water Resources, UN organizations’ offices in China, foreign embassies in Beijing, universities, research institutes and NGOs.
Mme Zhang Meiying, Vice Chairperson of the China People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) opened the meeting as the first addressing of the opening session followed by the keynote speeches given by Mr. Chen Lei, the Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Wu Xiaoqing, Vice Minister of Environmental Protection and Mr. Xu Xiaofeng, Vice Administrator of China Meteorological Administration. Slots were also given to Mr. Edgar Cua, Deputy Director General, East Asia Department, ADB, Mme. Gillian Mellsop, Resident Representative, UNICEF China Office, Mr. Zhu Chunquan, Head of Conservation Operations, WWF Beijing Office and Mr. Khalid Mohtadullah, Senior Advisor of GWP. The presentations were given by Mr. Zhang Xu, Deputy Director General of the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and other six invited specialists after the keynote speeches.
Being the 8th one organized by the GWP China, this Roundtable meeting was resulted with the deep discussions and exchange of ideas and experiences on strategies for disasters control due to extreme climate and the impact of extreme climate on water resources and relevant countermeasures and the following common understanding and consensus were reached:
1) To adapt to the extreme climates is a global issue and a common task for all the countries in the world;
2) There is a serious situation on extreme climate adaptation in China which is one of the main factors limiting the sustainable social and economic development. Therefore, along with the rapid industrialization and urbanization, there is an urgent need to enhance the disasters control and reduction capacity and strengthen the water resources conservation and protection;
3) To adapt to the extreme climate and prevent and control flooding and drought disasters is an urgent and major strategic task closely related to the country’s stability, people’s livelihood and the harmonious coexistence between human and nature, thus the high importance must be given to the legislative implications and the mechanism and institutional reforms and the comprehensive countermeasures covering political, economic and social aspects be worked out and implemented;
4) The extreme climate adaptation involves all related sectors and a mechanism for better coordination and cooperation is very much needed;
5) The extreme climate adaptation also requires the social and public participation;
6) The scientific research work on extreme climate adaptation needs to be strengthened.