Lancaster Environment Centre

Our UK-China Science Bridge project, funded by Research Councils UK, addresses perhaps the greatest challenge facing humankind: feeding a world population approaching 7 billion against a background of growing concern over our planet's capacity to adapt to a changing climate.

The recent IPCC report highlights both a predicted increase of 2-4°C global surface warming by 2100 and significant perturbation in patterns and intensity of rainfall predicted to lead to serious droughts and more frequent flooding, both severe problems for food production and for the maintenance of a safe and secure water supply.

Now, possibly more than at any time in the past, is there a need for innovation to ensure we can successfully meet such a global challenge. Improvement in security of supply and quality of water would also have a significant positive impact on sustainable development and health in parts of the world increasingly important to the UK as emerging markets.

To meet this challenge, our UK-China Science bridge project is working in partnership with Chinese colleagues within the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Agricultural University, the Chinese Ministry of Environment and a growing number of UK businesses to provide new knowledge, products and services to:

• Improve crop nutrient use efficiency and maximise yields under drought
• Develop and apply new agronomic technologies to enhance water use efficiency
• Detect heavy metals in the environment and food
• Understand and manage the impact of organic chemicals in the environment
• Understand and manage the impact and risks of agricultural waste-disposal to land