EU and China exchange climate researchers
An exchange programme for Chinese and EU scientists has increased collaboration, capacity building and training in climate change and land–ecosystem interactions. The 'Land-atmosphere interactions in China' (LAIC) project was established to facilitate the mobility and exchange of science researchers between China and EU countries. The aim was to obtain a better understanding of land–atmosphere interactions for climate change research and environmental policy in China. Project partners focused on four areas. These were: megacities and air quality; drylands and the hydrological cycle; process and regional climate modelling; and the carbon cycle and trace gas flux measurements. All four areas represented critical, interconnected issues concerning regional and climate change. Researcher exchanges included a study of aerosol, trace gas and meteorological measurements and new particle formation events in Nanjing, China. Aerosol and new particle formation were also studied in the western part of the Yangtze River Delta. Mechanisms behind land-use change were also investigated in the Pearl River Basin, and coupled climate/hydrological models and land surface/hydrological models were developed. In addition, Chinese students were trained in Hamburg, Germany, to use the regional model REMO to investigate regional feedback mechanisms in East Asia. Results from the LAIC project have increased understanding of new particle formation phenomena, particularly in areas suffering from high pollution levels. The exchanges also encouraged the use, development and comparison of regional models in China. LAIC outcomes will therefore lead to new initiatives in process modelling, such as new aerosol particle formation, and new joint research efforts.
