Recent research suggests that food production in China could be threatened by the combined effects of climate change and other socio-economic drivers. The agricultural sector is responsible for roughly 20% of China’s annual emissions of greenhouse gases and 70% of China’s total water use. Managing the intensity of fossil fuel and water use in agriculture is critical to support effective and sustainable adaptation in China.

The ADMIT project is researching sustainable agriculture in China with an overall objective of estimating the 'carbon cost' of future agricultural water use responses for adaptation to climate change. The project is a joint collaboration between China and UK and forms part of the China-UK Sustainable Agriculture Innovation Network (SAIN).

There are three main elements to the project;

Assessing impacts and identifying adaptation policies

·         Model climate change impacts on agricultural crop production and water use in China

·         Characterise the main features of current and future agricultural policy responses

·         Identify sustainable adaptation options and policy responses

Water use energy intensity in agriculture

·         Review of methodologies for estimation of energy and water use intensity

·         Estimate current and future energy consumption in the water sector and agriculture

·         Fieldwork and data collection at case study sites in China

Linking adaptation and mitigation in agricultural water use

Prioritise adaptation policies

·         Identify useful carbon accounting methods

·         Assess carbon costs associated with adaptation policies in agriculture

·         Evaluate and prioritise policies in the context of a wider range of considerations

More information: See Project Flyer (download below)

Outputs:

Rothausen, S.G.S.A. and Conway, D. (2011) Greenhouse-gas emissions from energy use in the water sector. Nature Climate Change 1, 210–219

Policy Brief No. 3 Greenhouse-gas emissions from energy use in the water sector (download below)

Rothausen, S.G.S.A. and Conway, D. (2011) Greenhouse-gas emissions from energy use in the water sector. Nature Climate Change 1, 210–219 doi:10.1038/nclimate1147 download the ePrint

Funding: UK Defra under the International Sustainable Development Fund, partly funded by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture

Project Partners: University of East Anglia, Cranfield University, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy

Duration: January 2010 to February 2012