This multi-disciplinary programme focuses on investigating the impacts of climate change and land-use change on the physical environment as well as ecosystems and human communities, on spatial scales ranging from urban centers to continents, and temporal scales from days to centuries. We examine secular changes in the behaviour of extreme weather events, as well as the interactive physical, chemical and biological processes in the air-sea-land environment, with a particular emphasis on the Greater Bay Area, China and East Asia. Implications of climate change on air and water pollution, human health, ecosystem and agricultural productivity, together with the interactive effects with urbanization, are explored. Extensive use is made of computer earth system models of various resolutions and complexities, observational climate datasets, field experiments, remote sensing platforms, and geoinformation technologies.

Specific attention is devoted to the development and improved representation of key processes and mechanisms in computer models, as well as the projections of climatic and environmental states in the Greater Bay Area under different socioeconomic scenarios. Our investigators have been working closely with various research units in the University and institutions throughout the globe. Our scientific findings provide pertinent information for planning, policy-making and formulation of adaptation and management strategies in tackling daunting challenges of climate change.

Advancing Air Quality, Food Security and Human Health under Global Climate Change