The Elbe region is representative of humid to semi-humid landscapes in Central Europe, where water availability during the summer season is the limiting factor for plant growth and crop yields, especially in the loess areas with high crop productivity having annual precipitation lower than 500 mm. This paper summarizes the results of the first phase of the GLOWA-Elbe project and tries to assess the reliability of water supply in the German part of the Elbe River basin for the next 50 years, a time scale relevant for the implementation of water and land use management plans. One focus of the study was developing scenarios which are consistent with climate and land use changes considering possible uncertainties. The concluding result of the study is that nature and communities in parts of Central Europe will have to deal with considerably lower water resources under scenario conditions.

Temperature change is of great importance in global change science. Remarkable progress has been made in studies of the temperature change in China during the recent 100 years or more. Some time series provide surface air temperatures averaged over China. Correlations between the series range from 0.73 to 0.97. The achievements mainly include the following: improving the quality, increasing the coverage of data, raising the homogeneity of time series and enlarging the reliability of the results etc. Analysis shows that the warming rate of annual mean temperature in China during 1906-2005 is (0.78±0.27)℃; 2007 is probably the warmest year. However, most of the series except those with complete coverage mainly reflect the temperature change over eastern China before the 1920s or 1930s, so caution must be taken in examination of temperature change.

Using the output of Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models participating in the AR4 of IPCC, this paper has studied the spatio-temporal characteristics of surface air temperature and precipitation in China when the greenhouse gases (GHGs) concentration stabilizes at levels of 550 and 720 mL/m3 for nearly a century (2101-2198). The results show that the temperature誷 warming rate is 0.4℃/100a under the two stabilization scenarios, in addition, the warming tendency is much smaller than those under the SRES A1B and B1 scenarios. Warming is most remarkable in winter and spring, with warming amplitude becoming generally greater from low latitudes toward high latitudes, and next in summer and autumn, which leads to the reduction in temperature differences between seasons. Although the annual mean precipitation still increases when the GHGs concentration stabilizes, the increasing amplitude tends to be stable at 11% (720 mL/m3) and 8% (550 mL/m3), respectively. The increase in winter precipitation is more apparent than in other seasons; the increase also becomes larger from low latitudes toward high latitudes. The summer and autumn precipitation decreases 10%~30% in most areas of China.

Monthly average temperatures from 1999 to 2006 at Tazhong weather station (39?0′N, 83?0′E) in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Dersert, and from 1961 to 2006 at 27 weather stations in the peripheral area of the desert, as well as the 2.5 　?.5 ?grid data of the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis surface monthly average temperature in the same period were used to reconstruct the time series of monthly average temperature at Tazhong from 1961-1998 by using the stepwise regression and empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis methods. The fitting errors, decadal mean temperatures and their trends were compared with one another. The results show that both the stepwise regression and EOF methods can be used to reconstruct series of monthly average temperature at Tazhong, but the former is superior to the latter in relatively smaller errors; the former's average absolute fitting error is 0.3℃ and the maximum absolute fitting error is 1.9℃. However, the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis surface monthly average temperature data can not be used due to its large positive systematic errors in winter season.

According to the data of tropical cyclone (TC) landfalling in China for 1949-2006, climatologically statistical parameters of typhoon season, including the first-landfall TC date (FLTD), the last-landfall TC date (LLTD) and the duration of typhoon season (TSD) were analyzed. The first-landfall (last-landfall) TCs in China are mainly from the South China Sea (the Western Pacific). Moreover, the two source regions show a linear trend of northeastward and northwestward shift, respectively. FLTD in Guangdong (Zhejiang) is the earliest (latest), while LLTD in Guangxi and Zhejiang (Guangdong and Hainan) is earlier (later) than other provinces. TSD in Guangdong (Zhejiang) is longer (shorter) than those in other regions in the recent 58 years. TSD has shortened or shown no obvious change in all provinces except Zhejiang, where it has become longer.

EU leaders have committed to cut greenhouse gas emission by at least 20% of 1990 levels by 2020, regardless of what action other countries take. Meanwhile, corresponding policies and measures are set. After analyzing EU's emission changes between 1990 and 2005, the paper believes that it is almost impossible for EU15 to fulfill their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. More stringent policies and measures should be designed for the further reduction commitment. However, proposed measures are short of confidence. New members of EU might help EU meet its first commitment, nevertheless, they will bring more challenges against EU's commitments for post-Kyoto emission reduction targets, because their emissions might be rebounded along with the social and economic development in these countries.

It is a consensus of international society to promote the development of low carbon economy in order to face the challenges of climate change. The challenges and opportunities and some action suggestions for Chinese energy-intensive enterprises in the background of developing low carbon economy have been elaborated in this paper. Chinese energy-intensive enterprises should take efficient measures to face the challenges of climate change and make use of the historic chance of developing low carbon economy to take the position of strategic advantage in future competition and to realize their sustainable development.

Perception is the first step of adaptation, which could affect human's decision-making and behavior pattern. Based on the statistics of the random sampling survey of climate change awareness and meteorological data from 1980 to 2005 in Mohe County of Heilongjiang Province, theories of Environmental Psychology and Behavioral Economics have been used to analyze the peasants?perception on climate change in the past 20 years. The results show that the peasants have good perceiving capacity for climate change trends, and can make right perception, although uncertainty exists because of individual differences in objective. Perception of climate change intensity based on weather or climate condition in past 2 to 3 years corresponds to the real fact, but it is uncertain to reflect long-term fluctuations in climate. Even though the peasants have correct understanding on climate change and make corresponding adjustment, it's hard to grasp the adjustment range.