BEIJING, March 17 -- On March 15th, China held a press conference to release China National Assessment Report on Risk Management and Adaptation of Climate Extremes and Disasters in the 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which is held by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan.

Qin Dahe, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiao Meiyan, Deputy Administrator of China Meteorological Administration, Shi Peijun, Vice-director of National Committee for Disaster Reduction of China and Song Lianchun, Director of National Climate Center attended the press conference.

From May 2013, the Report was jointly compiled by 12 government departments, 33 institutes and 125 authors. It aims to better evaluate the climate extreme events under the climate change background and the progress in disaster risk management and adaption in research and practice, ensure the climate security in China, construct the ecological civilization, and implement sustainable development.

The Report comprehensively and systematically analyzed the latest scientific research results, the characteristics, changes and causes of climate extremes in China. The influence and risk of weather and climate disaster in different areas is evaluated. And progress in risk management, practices and adaption measures to climate extremes is summarized. Finally, strategies and actions should be taken in China in coping with climate extreme events and climate adaptation is presented.

According to the Report, climate extreme events are featured by their variety, high frequency, strong seasonal and regional variation, and impact magnitude. It is projected that by the end of the 21st century there will be higher risks of extreme high temperatures, floods and droughts in China. The population growth and wealth accumulation in the 21st Century is projected to have superposition and amplification effects on the risks of weather and climate disasters. 

The Report represents that the Chinese government strengthened the construction of the climate extreme and disaster risk management system, and established the national management system for disaster preparedness and reduction and emergency management with Chinese characteristics, with the emergency plans and the disaster preparedness and reduction system, mechanism and legal system as the main parts. The Chinese government strengthened the capacity building of disaster preparedness and reduction in an all-round way, and preliminarily formed the integrated disaster preparedness and reduction system synthesizing disaster prevention, fighting and relief. While focusing on the risk governance in the traditional fields, the Chinese government also paid attention to some new problems related to climate extremes and disasters, including the aggravation of water resource risks, the upgrading of the ecological security risks and the intensification of health safety risks, and took the corresponding governance measures. The risk management capabilities of governments at all levels and the risk awareness of the public were obviously enhanced, and the atmosphere of mitigating disaster risks in the whole society was preliminarily formed. The Chinese government established and improved the mechanism of the collaboration and social pluralism participation, strengt hened the international cooperation of disaster prevention and reduction, and enhanced the national capabilities of coping with climate extreme events and disasters.

The Report combines science of climate and climate change with social science as disaster risk management and climate change adaptation, promoting the academic exchanges in related fields and cooperation among scholars. The related conclusions in this Report have important reference value and guiding role in better coping with the climate extremes and disasters and improving the comprehensive risk management level to the Chinese government and various circles in the society under the background of climate change, also it can be refereed by other countries. 

The 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction will end on March 18.