Climate change has seriously and adversely impacted China’s natural ecosystem and continues to seep into the economic and social system. In recent years, floods and droughts are intensifying, glaciers are retreating, permafrost is thawing, glacial lakes are expanding, and water-resources security risks have grown significantly. In 2021, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China decided to develop a national climate change adaptation strategy for the next decade to incorporate climate change adaptation into economic and social development. The principles of the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2035 (the Strategy) are active adaptation by putting prevention first, scientific adaptation by following the laws of nature, and collaborative adaptation by coordinated and cooperative governance, which also benefits from international lessons learned.
 
The Global Center on Adaptation, as a key international partner of the Chinese government in climate change adaptation, channeled the most advanced knowledge and international experience to inform the development, as well as provided in-depth review during the fine-tuning phase prior to the completion of the Strategy. In the near future, GCA through its regional office in China will continue to support the Strategy’s implementation and China’s adaptation actions.
 
Download the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2035 of China here.

Environmental pressures in China mainly manifest through water stress exacerbated by climate change, with Beijing being one of the most affected cities. Beijing is the first city in China to initiate land and space ecological restoration, using the five major rivers and canals across the city as green corridors to improve the water system’s connectivity and restore the river channel’s ecological function. The principles and research design for water restoration in Beijing can benefit from international lessons learned.

The Global Center on Adaptation, as a knowledge broker for adaptation solutions, facilitated a knowledge exchange through a series of roundtable discussions between the city of Beijing and international experts to help inform and shape Beijing’s water restoration strategy.

With funding support from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Netherlands, the International Panel on Deltas and Coastal Areas (IPDC), and the Ministry of the Ecology and Environment of China (MEE), GCA China collaborated with the MEE and the Weihai Municipal People’s Government to launch the GCA Supports Weihai City in Building a Climate Adaptive Pilot City Project on 8th December 2023. The initiative aims to provide technical support to Weihai City, enhance the city’s resilience to climate change, and promote the development of climate-resilient policies and projects in urban planning, design, and implementation. The project seeks to effectively enhance the city’s resilience, adaptability, and responsiveness to climate challenges, ensuring adequate preparation for future climate impacts.

Following the launch, Weihai City and GCA organized a series of knowledge exchange activities on topics such as Climate Risk Assessments and Best Practices for Building Climate-Resilient Cities. The project provided technical support and produced a report titled Supporting China’s Pilot on Resilient Cities: Key Recommendations for Weihai’s 2035 Agenda. This report offers strategic guidance for urban climate resilience planning in Weihai for the period from 2025 to 2035.  The report provides valuable inputs to the Implementation Plan for Building Climate Adaptive City in Weihai and supporting the city’s resilience-building efforts. The report in both Chinese and English was released at an event on 26th July 2024 hosted by Weihai City and GCA, and attended by government officials from MEE, Shandong Province Ecology and Environment Department, Weihai Municipal Government, Weihai Ecology and Environment Bureau, and other climate-related Bureaus.

GCA strives to make its content accessible to people throughout the world. As part of that effort, GCA China shares adaptation knowledge resources on the Chinese social media platform, WeChat, with the help of volunteers.

View the full list of GCA China Volunteer Team