Political adviser emphasizes importance of early warnings in climate change

A more comprehensive early warning system is needed to respond actively to climate change, said a political adviser at this year's first members' passage interview on Monday.

"The sixth assessment synthesis report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which took a decade to complete, showed that global climate change has had extensive and profound impacts on natural ecosystems and human society, with future management becoming increasingly complex," said Zhang Xingying, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and deputy head of the China Meteorological Administration's Science, Technology and Climate Change Department.

"In light of the growing occurrence of extreme weather events, the most efficient method for human society to protect itself is through early warnings. By issuing a warning notice 24 hours in advance, disaster losses would be reduced by 30 percent, yielding a tenfold return on investment."

As one of the first signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, China has gradually developed a national early warning system since 2015, forming a government-led disaster prevention and relief mechanism prioritizing early warnings and involving inter-departmental coordination and societal participation, Zhang said.

Last August, flood disasters hit some of the key grain-producing regions in China. With the help of the enhanced early-warning capacities, China accurately forecasts the location and intensity of the rainfall, allowing for proactive emergency responses to minimize losses. These technological advancements contributed to China's uninterrupted grain harvest, Zhang added.

"Confronting global challenges, we must uphold the concept of a shared future for mankind and work together to address the risks in the field of climate and environment, safeguarding this blue planet," Zhang said.