China trains intl talent for climate challenges

China's efforts to train meteorologists from developing countries — hosted by the China Meteorological Administration Training Center — have benefited over 10,000 participants from more than 170 countries since 2003.

The training covers a wide range of topics, including early warning systems, climate change and agricultural meteorology, and China has also shared its experience in disaster prevention and mitigation.

Late last month, a training workshop on applying a cloud-based early warning system for Pakistan concluded in Beijing.

"The knowledge shared here will greatly contribute to our goal of ensuring the safety and well-being of our communities, especially in mitigating the impacts of natural disasters and fulfilling the motive of the World Meteorological Organization's 'Early Warning for All'," Anjum Nazir Zaighum, a senior forecaster with the Pakistan Meteorological Department, said at the workshop's closing ceremony.

Since 2017, China has trained 245 officials from the Pakistan Meteorological Department in fields such as meteorological early warning, climate change response, aeronautical meteorology and agricultural meteorology, said Wu Xiaopeng, deputy director-general of the China Meteorological Administration Training Center.

"This training is not just a milestone in our collaboration, it's a testament to our growing partnership," Wu said.

The courses and workshops, hosted by China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment and organized by the World Meteorological Organization's regional training center in Beijing, are part of the Chinese government's efforts within the framework of South-South cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative to reduce the risks of weather events and climate disasters, as well as address the impacts of climate change, according to the meteorological administration.

Mohammad Mahdi Aryamanesh, who participated in an international climate change training course at the World Meteorological Organization Beijing Training Center in November 2022, said climate change has been "very evident" in Iran in the past two decades.

"The decrease in precipitation, rising temperatures, drying of lakes, expanding deserts, increasing population and decreasing drinking water are escalating every day," he said. "The training is very useful and applicable."

Jasneel Chandra from the Fiji Meteorological Service, who participated in an international training course on agrometeorology, said the recorded and live lectures were very informative.

"The CMA lectures in agricultural meteorology provided opportunities to form connections, seek advice and gain new skills in agrometeorology," he said. "Now, I am able to confidently share with stakeholders what would be the possible impacts of climate change on crops and also suggest to them some risk management strategies learned during the training."

In April last year, to support developing countries in improving their ability to cope with extreme weather, the ministry, the World Meteorological Organization and the China Meteorological Administration signed a cooperation agreement to enhance early warning capabilities.

Xian Di, director of the science and technology and international cooperation office at the National Satellite Meteorological Center, said China has provided information support to multiple countries since 2019, helping them cope with extreme weather events or natural disasters.