Researching climate change in Ningxia Hui
23 November 2007
Ningxia Hui is a dry, desert-like region located in the north of the People’s Republic of China. As one of the country’s poorest regions, its population is heavily reliant on agricultural production and its economy is, therefore, highly vulnerable to climate change.
In recent years, rising temperatures and
decreasing rainfall have begun to impact upon the region, and, since 2005, it has experienced
severe drought. In fact, the decline of rainfall to just 100 millimetres during
the summer months made 2005 the driest year in half a century. As a result of
these changes in climate, harvests have failed and many families have been unable to
meet their nutritional needs, in some cases even being forced to buy water.
In response, DFID and DEFRA began to fund joint research projects in the region.
The aim was to investigate the impact of climate change on Chinese agriculture
and discover ways in which the region could adapt to better protect the
livelihoods of its farmers and poorest people.
Since Ningxia is a self-governed, independent region of China, new methods
stemming from the research will be applied locally by farmers,
infrastructure-providers and government.
Ningxia is far from an isolated
example. The reality is that, depending on the level of future emissions,
temperatures are set to increase by 3 and 4°C throughout China by the end of the
21st century. Yields of rice, maize and wheat are likely to be reduced by
37% as a consequence of these increases. In years to come, the findings of the
studies
in Ningxia may prove of great importance, and practical use, to the country as a whole.
Key facts
- Impacts of Climate Change on Chinese Agriculture is a joint venture between DFID, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).
- The project was launched in 2001. Its first phase ran for three years, during which time it looked closely at the climate in individual regions to construct a range of possible future climate scenarios for China.
- The second phase of the project began in September 2005 and is due to end in late 2008. Focussed on building on the findings of the previous phase, it includes both national and regional components. An important part of the research in this phase is to consider the effects of climate change on society, particularly on the country's most impoverished communities.
- UK funding for the second phase of the project is £150,000.
Links
