INTAROS-Blue Action workshop in Beijing

The objective of the workshop was to present ongoing and planned activities by the Chinese partners in the INTAROS and Blue Action projects. The Chinese partners in these projects have obtained national funding to participate and contribute to the projects. The workshop was organised and hosted by the Nansen-Zhu International Research Center at Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The workshop was attended by about 20 participants. The Chinese partners are building up their research activities in the Arctic and are expected to become significant contributors to observation, modelling and forecasting in the Arctic.

The Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC) is the only one institute in China working exclusively for scientific study and logistical supporting for polar research. The PRIC is responsible to implement the Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition (CHINARE) program. Scientists from PRIC contribute to INTAROS with field observations of snow and ice in the central Arctic using the research icebreaker R/V Xuelong. The National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center (NMEFC) of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) has primary responsibility in China for marine environmental forecasting and marine disaster forecasting, including marine warnings to prevent and mitigate disasters, and providing support for national marine activities and operations. The NMEFC supports INTAROS ocean, sea ice and meteorological modelling and observations, including deployment of Sea-Ice Mass Balance Array (SIMBA) in the central Arctic Ocean. Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth – Chinese Academy of Science (RADI CAS) has as its main task to develop Earth observation from Chinese satellites, conducts remote sensing science and distribute data from the satellites. RADI will contribute to INTAROS with satellite remote sensing data for the Arctic regions and develop collaboration with the Digital Belt and Road programme in China. Recently, China has published its Arctic policy white paper, where increased research in the Arctic is of high priority. The Chinese partners are expected to become significant contributors to observation, modelling and forecasting in the Arctic. INTAROS and other Arctic projects can therefore have great benefits of collaborate with PRIC, NMEFC, RADI and other leading Chinese research institutions.

The agenda for the meeting is attached.