With its vast geographical expanse and diverse climate zones, China experiences significant challenges during the summer season. The rise in temperature affects people and animals, forests, arable land, rivers, coastlines, mountain regions, etc. It causes environmental stress, public health and food security issues, and huge economic losses.

According to a 2021 Greenpeace study, more climate change-induced heatwaves and extreme rainfall would effectively extend summer by an average of a month in and around Beijing and Shanghai during this century. Global warming would extend the summer heat season by more than 40 days in the Pearl River delta. Similarly, the Chinese government’s Meteorological Administration confirms that extremely high temperatures and extreme precipitation have increased since the mid-1990s.

These observations compound with the author’s subjective observations of China’s changing weather patterns of the past 25 years: shorter springs with moderate temperature periods end in sudden and early onslaughts of extreme heat, leading into earlier summer and an extended typhoon season.

Given China’s vast geographic diversity, climate change effects manifest differently in summer.

Urban Heatwaves and Flooding

Urban centers suffer increasingly from extreme heat. In 2023, cities like Chongqing and Hangzhou reported temperatures exceeding 40°C, prompting. In 2017, Shanghai News reported temperatures of up to 60°C above road pavements, making work impossible for traffic police. Extreme heat also affects production sites and power production, thus leading to power shut-downs during the hot summer months.

Urban centers are also more prone to damage from flooding. As the typhoon season patterns change, typhoons are becoming more frequent, bringing more storms and unprecedented torrential rains. In addition, the impact of severe rainstorms can now also be felt in cities in China’s hinterland, which traditionally have not been affected. The extreme flood in Zhengzhou in 2020 caught the city administration by surprise, as it was the first time a flood of that extent hit the city. Flooding frequently destroys economic existences and human lives.

Forest Fires

Wildfires in China’s forests are another increasingly critical issue. While wildfires in China’s densely populated South or Southwest – like Yunnan and Sichuan – are mainly caused by human activity, wildfires in China’s more sparsely populated Northwest and Northeast are mainly dominated by temperature and most frequently ignited by lightning. The boreal forests in the North increasingly suffer from climate change-induced lack of snowfall in winter and extended summer seasons that cut short the already diminished snow season. These forests are prone to drying out and become more vulnerable to lighting-induced fires. Both the frequency and burned area of lightning fires are rising.  However, warming-induced increases in evaporation, fuel dryness, and aridity during summer also affect the more tropical forests, for example, in Yunnan or Sichuan. Changing weather patterns mean diminishing precipitation and warmer weather that lead to blazes. These fires destroy homes and wildlife habitats and release significant amounts of carbon dioxide, contributing to air pollution and climate change.

Droughts in formerly water-rich areas

Droughts are a severe consequence of prolonged heatwaves, significantly affecting agriculture. Northern China, including Hebei and Inner Mongolia, often faces severe drought conditions. This reduces crop yields, leads to economic losses for farmers, and increases food prices. In 2022, the drought in northern China caused substantial losses in maize and soybean production, threatening food security. Droughts also reduce water levels in rivers and lakes. In 2022, the Yangtze River, Asia’s longest river, dropped its water levels to record lows, affecting drinking water supply, agriculture, and hydropower generation.

Policies and Programs to Mitigate Summer Heat Impact

China has implemented various policies and programs to address the challenges of summer heat. These initiatives span across public health, infrastructure development, and environmental management.

Monitoring and Warning Systems

The Chinese government has taken measures to step up monitoring and warning systems. The National Health Commission issues heat warnings and provides guidelines on how to stay safe during extreme temperatures. Public awareness campaigns educate citizens about the risks of heat-related illnesses and preventive measures. Monitoring and early warning systems have been introduced into cities like Zhengzhou to alert the population against potential flooding and to evacuate early if necessary.

Urban Resilience and Infrastructure

To combat urban heat issues, cities invest in urban resilience and green infrastructure. This includes developing parks and green roofs, rehabilitating river shores, and increasing tree planting to provide shade, reduce ambient temperatures, and make room for water absorption. Additionally, cities like Beijing and Shanghai retrofit buildings to improve energy efficiency and reduce heat absorption. Several cities have also started to experiment with sponge city concepts against flooding.

Water Management

Water conservation and management measures have been introduced to address droughts and flooding. While the government has implemented large-scale projects to divert water from wetter regions to drought-affected areas, efforts are also made to rehabilitate wetlands. The South-to-North Water Diversion Project is one of northern China’s largest initiatives to alleviate water shortages. Efforts are also being made to improve water-use efficiency in agriculture through advanced irrigation techniques and drought-resistant crop varieties. Agricultural land gained from dried-out moors is turned back into wetlands to absorb flood water.

Public Health

Measures include early warning systems for extreme heat and urban “cooling centers” for those without home air conditioning. Regarding industry production, regulations require manufacturers to allow outdoor workers frequent heat-related breaks and restrict their time outdoors and in-plant sites to about 20 minutes.

Effectiveness of Policies and Programs

The initiatives implemented by the Chinese government have shown significant progress. Public awareness campaigns and cooling centers have successfully reduced heat-related illnesses and fatalities. The expansion of green infrastructure in cities has mitigated some of the urban heat island effects, and improvements in water management have helped maintain water supply during droughts. At the same time, while significant progress has been made, ongoing efforts to adapt and become more resilient are necessary to mitigate the adverse effects of rising temperatures during summer.

This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard Country Manager Annette Wiedenbach.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-66616699

https://www.iawfonline.org/article/situation-report-china/

https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-eastasia-stateless/2021/07/df25c16c-气候危险城市报告english-media-briefing-1.pdf