The Chinese National Committee for the International Human Dimensions Program on Global Environmental Change (IHDP) was formally established on Monday. The new scientific organization will link Chinese scientists and the international science community in their studies of how human activities and environmental changes affect each other 

It will advance domestic study and discussion as well as provide information and advice for national and regional sustainable development strategies. The committee will also participate in developing major national and international cooperation projects and help to raise public environmental protection awareness.

The IHDP is an international, interdisciplinary and nongovernmental research program that aims to develop and integrate research on the human dimensions of global environmental change. It was initially launched in 1990 by the International Social Science Council, with the International Council for Science (ICSU) joining as co-sponsor in 1996.

Since its establishment, 68 nations have become actively linked to IHDP. The organization has 29 national committees and 38 national contact points. More than half are located in developing countries and transition economies.

Involvement in the network will benefit China’s sustainable development strategy, according to Science and Technology Vice Minister Liu Yanhua, who is also chairman of the committee.

Liu pointed out that although China has conducted research on global environmental change for years, scientists have predominantly focused on natural sciences and there is a lack of research sharing between the fields of natural science and humanities.

The committee aims to help bridge that gap.

Sun Shu, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and vice chairman of the IHDP National Committee’s advisory subcommittee, said that China should invest more in the study of global environmental changes. Special attention should be paid to monitoring and forecast of climate systems and how global environmental change affects China’s natural ecosystem and social economy.