The frequent occurrence of extreme weather incidences in recent years in China has prompted great concern and serious discussion on the consequences of climate change, and the important role adaptation plays in tackling its negative consequences.

"Climate change adaptation has been on the national agenda for many years now, and the UN will continue to assist the Government of China to ensure strong
capacity building on climate change adaptation,” said Mr. Zhang Shigang, Country Coordinator of UNEP and Vice‐Chair of the United Nations Theme Group on Climate Change and Environment (UNTGCCE), at the UNFCCC Side Event in Tianjin on 7th October 2010.

UN Agencies in China including FAO, UNEP, UNESCO, UNICEF and WHO are dedicated to promoting climate change adaptation alongside national counterparts. Under the umbrella of UNTGCCE, they jointly hosted a side event, ‘Toward an Adaptable Future: the Joint Efforts of UN China’ with the aim of increasing international awareness of interventions to support climate change adaptation in China.

In 2008, the UN launched the MDG‐F sponsored China Climate Change Partnership Framework (CCPF). Under the joint programme, nine UN Agencies have worked together with eleven national ministries to deliver climate change policy, mitigation and adaptation programme, targeted on enhancing capacity building of national policy‐makers and adaptation best practice. The UN System in China is engaged in assisting vulnerable communities in the least developed parts of Western China.

Through joint efforts, climate change adaptation is being mainstreamed into national strategies, a ‘No Regret’ principle is being accepted by policymakers, and adaptation practices are being implemented at the local level.

During the side event, speakers from UN Agencies in China presented their work under the adaptation part of the programme. Topics covered the impact assessment of the vulnerability of upstream glacier melting, adaptation of water resources and environmentally sound agriculture in the Yellow River Basin area, the safety of groundwater, the impact of sea level rising in the Delta River coastal regions, as well as the health impacts of climate change.

This was the first of two side events scheduled during the Tianjin UNFCCC meetings.
The second, “The United Nations System in China: Support to China’s Mitigation Efforts and Low Carbon Development” took place Friday 8th October 2010. For more information on either event, please contact UNTGCCE Chair Mr. Edward Clarence‐Smith: e.clarence‐smith@unido.org.