On Nov. 9, 2006, the seminar on global environmental change sponsored by the ESSP (Earth System Science Partnership) kicked off in Beijing International Conference Center, attracting thousands of scientists at home and abroad.

The conference this year was co-sponsored by National Climate Committee and China Meteorological Station, the theme being ‘Global climate change—regional challenge’. During the conference, participants actively engaged in the discussions about carbonic circulations in certain region of interest, food security, water and human health, etc. As a result of the conference, MAIRS (Monsoon Asian Integrated Regions Study) was to released by ESSP, which would also report on the scientific research plans and implementation strategy on global environmental changes and human health. It is hoped that a new declaration on global environmental change will be publicized.

ESSP was formed in Amsterdam, Netherland, in July, 2001, when the first open conference on global change was held there. Consisting of four research plans respectively being WCRP, IGBP, IHDP and DIVERSITAS, the ESSP aimed to stimulate integrated study of geosystem and global change, and wherefrom to better understand global sustainable development and impending global environmental change problems.