Water Resources and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Vulnerable North China Plain and Poyang Lake Region

The flood-prone Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China, accounting for 9% of the drainage area of the Yangtze River Basin. The North China Plain is a site of major grain production, home to a third of the country's population, and one of China's most water-scarce regions. In recent years, drought and flood-related events have caused severe economic losses in the North China Plain and Poyang Lake Region, respectively. However, despite Chinese policy-makers' increasing attention to climate change, effective adaptation strategies to these water-related climate impacts are still in their infancy. This project aims to address climate variability and change in the water and agricultural sectors in these two vulnerable regions, providing governments with the evidence they need to develop cost-effective and viable adaptation plans. Research will focus on impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on water availability. It will also look at current adaptation practices, along with the factors influencing adaptive capacity. The project will examine costs and benefits of various adaptation measures and identify strategies for mainstreaming the most effective ones in local, regional, and national adaptation plans. This project is funded through the Centre's Research Initiative on Water Resources and Adaptation to Climate Change in Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean with funds from the Government of Canada's fast-start financing.