CLIMATE CHANGE: CHINA PERSPECTIVE

Heavy Snowfall in China

China is one of the developing countries most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change as it becomes the biggest CO2 emitter after the United States. As a developing country with a large population, a relatively low level of economic development, the Government of China are paying more attention to the change of the economic growth pattern and restructuring of economy. In 2007, this expanding economy generated 6028 Mt CO2 which contribute one-fifth of the world total and exceeding the United States for the first time. In China, per capita CO2 emissions rose by 80% which was 2.54 to 4.57 tonnes from 1998 to 2007. Yet China, as a developing nation, is not bound to limit its green house gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol but its population and environment are likely to suffer more the effects of extreme weather events made more frequent by climate change. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall pattern will affect mainly in the fields of agriculture, livestock breeding, forestry, natural ecosystems, water resources, and coastal zones. To combat changing climate, Chinese government is now adopting measures to diversify its sources of energy and to increase energy efficiency, which could slow the sharp rise of its emissions. Also as a developing country of responsibility, China is among the first to formulate a national Agenda 21 entitled China’s Agenda 21 - White Paper on China's Population, Environment and Development in the 21st Century, soon after the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, and adopted a series of policies and measures taking into account its specific national circumstances, making positive contribution to the mitigation of climate change. At present, China actively participates in worldwide efforts to address climate change, earnestly observes the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, and plays a constructive role in international cooperation in this regard.

CLIMATE CHANGE: BANGLADESH PERSPECTIVE

Coastal Belt

The main victim of the unfavorable consequences of accumulation of green house gases is the developing countries of the world as per they have narrow scope to tackle with the natural disasters. Low economic countries such as Bangladesh are four times more victims by different disasters than high income countries. After 1990s, there were three storms, four floods, one tsunami and two cyclones killed more than 400,000 people, and indirectly affected another 42 million people, damage to coastal infrastructure estimated as much as 12% of GDP by the year 2010. According to IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) prediction, about 20 cm sea level may rise within year 2030, and end of this century it will be more than 1 m. Sea level rise will inundate coastal areas about 2.29 million hectares which is about 15.8% of the total land of Bangladesh. Net-cropped area about 13.74% and about 401,600 hectares mangrove forests will be lost from map of Bangladesh. Recently, a large number of native tree species such as Arthocarpus chaplasha, Cassia fistula, Michelia champaca etc. become in endangered and extinct conditions due to change their favorable site conditions in hill forests. From different research findings, it predicted that natural and mangrove forests of Bangladesh may lose its native economically valuable species in near future due to temperature become high and low precipitation during the year. Only forests react sensitively to climate change; and measures to protect, restore and sustainably management can offer climate change mitigation potential.

DEFORESTATION RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Deforestation in Bangladesh

Tropical forests of the world are degrading at an alarming rate because of population growth and human poverty, acute shortage of fuelwood, fodder and timber and a continuous decline in the amount of per capita cultivable land. 
Bangladesh, a South Asian least developed country, has been experiencing severe deforestation over the last 3 to 4 decades. During the period 2000-2005, deforestation rate in Bangladesh has been estimated at 3.3% per year. In Bangladesh, deforestation results mainly clearing agriculture land, principally shifting or jhum cultivation. About 85,000 hectares of the hill forests reserves under the practice of shifting cultivation and about 60,000 families engaged there. Of the three major forest categories (hill, inland Shorea robusta, Gaerten. f., and mangrove forests), the hill forests (48%) are the most important watershed areas of the country and are composed of tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen tree species. 
A rapid deforestation not only diminishes vegetative cover and species diversity; it may accelerate surface runoff, increase soil compaction and deteriorate soil biochemical properties, and often affects climate by releasing stored soil carbon as CO2 into the troposphere. 
The natures in which the tropical hill forest ecosystems are being deforested and degraded are becoming an ecological concern. Under regular protection, allow for natural regeneration and improvement of soil quality in the degraded forest ecosystems can be achieved over time.

FOREST FIRE AND CHANGING CLIMATE

Forest fire in China

China is a country with serious forest fires, large burnt forest areas and tremendous fire losses. Forest fires have been long frequenting overall China and from 1950 to 2000, recurrent disturbance events considered in Sanming City, Fujian Province due to its regular distribution throughout the whole year. It affects the replacement of forest plants, site conditions, lowers the forest protection on water and soils, losing its function of conserving water sources, and regulating soil temperature. More combustible species such as Cunninghamia lanceolata and Pinus massoniana those comprise 76% of the total area also increasing challenge to the ecological health of the Sanming forests. Recently due to climate change of China, structure and composition of Sanming forest ecosystem are affected by dry and warm weather. Changing weather parameters such as rising temperature, high wind speed, low precipitation and humidity makes the forest environment unfavuorable for native plant and animal species. The ecosystem of the Sanming forest are severely disturbed by these causes, and it is somehow difficult to keep the ecosystem intact without applying sound ecological principle. So, the ability to predict and understand forest fire occurrences in Sanming is essential to implement necessary measures to mitigate these impacts.

CARBON STOCK CAPACITY OF PLANTATION FORESTS

Plantation Forests in Bangladesh

The large portions of natural forests in Bangladesh have already been significantly degraded and fragmented, leaving the country with only a small percentage of forest cover. Plantations have high annual carbon sequestration rates and establishing plantations on degraded land has been proposed as an effective carbon management approach. Through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), carbon management approach can be achieved by plantation program in developing countries such as Bangladesh. Developing countries are mostly affected by the consequences of the “global warming”. The global warming issue focuses on the increasing accumulation of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2 in the atmosphere due to emissions caused by industrial activities and deforestation. Creating and maintaining carbon stocks in the tropical forests is an important response option for global warming in tropical developing countries such as Bangladesh. Among three plantations of 18-year old, the total (above- and below-ground) carbon stocks were found highest in Acacia auriculiformis (110.25 and 100.84 ton•ha−1, respectively), followed by Tectona grandis (91.28 and 80.33 ton•ha−1) and Anthocephalus chinensis (63.70 and 85.26 ton•ha−1) plantations. The capacity of plantations of Acacia auriculiformis, Anthocephalus chinensis and Tectona grandis to sequester atmospheric carbon and that reforestation makes a significant contribution to carbon sequestration and generating carbon credits in Bangladesh. The carbon stock of three plantation species indicates that Bangladesh has a capacity for carbon sequestration. To overcome the problem of global warming and climate change, sustainable forest management is the best way to achieve optimum carbon sequestration; and more easy, applicable and fast scientific methods are required to estimate the carbon stock in plantation forest.