The project, “Effects of Climate Change on Water Cycle and Water Resources Security in Arid Areas of Northwestern China” was launched

On September 12 to 13, 2010, the start-up meeting of the project, “Effects of Climate Change on Water Cycle and Water Resources Security in Arid Areas of Northwestern China” which is a project from the National Important Program for Global Change Research was held at Beijing. The project is one of 19 projects which were first launched.

  The project mainly relies on by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS and were together undertaken by six institutes and academies, the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, CAS, the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, CAS, the Urumqi Institute of Desert Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, and the Shehezi University. Academician Wang Hao, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Academician Liu Changming, CAS, Professor Wang Sumin, Nanjing Institute of Geography & Limnology, CAS, Professor Fu Bojie, from Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, CAS, Professor Ding Yongjian, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Professors Song Changqing and Leng Shuying, Deputy director of Geographic Office of National Natrual Science Foundation of China, Deputy Director-General Liao Xiaohan, from Department of Basic Research of Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China were invited to attend the startup meeting. The meeting was presided by academician Wang Hao and about 50 researchers attended the meeting.

  Firstly, Professor Chen Xi, on behalf the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, expressed his congratulation to the meeting. Chen said the Institute will create a good scientific environment and provide the best research conditions to ensure the project achieving anticipative objectives. Zhang Yao, the director of Social Foundation Department of Science and Technology Bureau of Xinjiang Uyger Autonomous Region, promised to do well organization and coordination to ensure the implementation of the project. Feng Renguo, Deputy Director of Resources and Environment Bureau, CAS confirmed the overall operability of the project. He also pointed out that the area advantage should become the research predominance, and the project would gain substantial achievement through seizing opportunities and strengthening cooperation. Deputy Director-General Liao Xiaohan, Department of Basic Research of Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China express his congratulation to the project’s smooth startup. He wished that the some key scientific problems of water resources in northwestern arid land could be resolved, contributing to a step-over development of Xinjiang economic society.

Chief scientist of the project, Professor Chen Yaning reported on the project general from the aspects of project background, research contents, target and organization and implementation. He also pointed out that the project would take the effect of climate change on water cycle and water resources security as the main research line to study the formation of water resources and the process of water cycle through multi-methods and multi-technologies integration. The climate models and hydrological models with regional characteristics would be constructed and developed; the interaction mechanism between generating runoff to confluence to dissipation would be proved; and the integrated management of water resources sustainable use and adaptive strategies in northwestern arid land under the context of global climate change were proposed in the project. Subsequently, Professors Yang Qing, Luo Yi, Shen Yanjun and Pan Xiangliang reported the sub-project contents, targets and implementation plans, respectively.

Experts, by the analyses form different aspects, confirmed that the project has great scientific significance, application values and a strong forward-looking. They also pointed out that the researchers should catch hold of the key problems and scientific difficulties, pay attention to the spatial and temporal scale issues, and combine with the national demand to make a breakthrough and provide scientific support for decision-making for the Nation.