Sino-Norwegian research cooperationin the environmental field

from the perspective of Norwegian Institute of Water Research

Thorjørn Larssen

Norwegian Institute for Water Research

• Norway‘s leading multidisciplinary research institute on the use and protection of water

• A foundation

• Turnover: ~ 265 mill. CNY

• State grant: ~ 11%

• ~25% from international activities• 240 Employees (120 Specialists)

Norwegian Institute for Water Research

• 6 locations in Norway• 3 units abraod• 12 research

departments

• Water Resources Management • Climate and Environmental modelling• Chemical analysis • Oceanography, Remote Sensing and Marine Modelling• Contaminants and acidification - Freshwater• Contaminants in Marine Environments • Water supply and sanitation technology • Biodiversity and Eutrophication - Freshwater • Biodiversity and Eutrophication - Marine• Ecotoxicology• Environmental Information Technology • Fish Ecology and Aquaculture

NIVA’s history in China

1995• Agreement between China and Norway on

environmental cooparation• NIVA involved in four projects co-funded by Norway

Environmental surveillanceand informationmanagement in Heilongjiang province

Environmental surveillanceand informationmanagement in Yantai

River rehabilitation in Shanghai

Wastewatermanagement in Jiaxing

NIVA’s history in China• 1999-2004: Acid rain project IMPACTS

• Gave room for research• Wide cooperation between many institutions• Important basis for much of today’s cooperation!

TSP, ChongQing

LCG, Guizhou

CJT, Hunan

LXH, GuangDong

LGS, Guizhou

The IMPACTS project

• Established 5 integrated monitoring sites for air pollution and acid rain effects

• 11 Chinese, 7 Norwegian institutions• Basis for 20+ intl. papers• Some sites still in operation and used in

different projects (incl new NORKLIMA project)

• Longer term funding (5 years) ensured solid cooperation

• Many of the project partners present here today!

Topics in ongoing projects

• Water resource management• Wastewater treatment• Mercury pollution• Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

and the Stockholm convention• Climate change and nitrogen• Climate change, POPs and mercury• Capacity building of province level

environmental managers

2009年12月7日星期一 8Thorjørn Larssen

Ongoing projects previous projects

Mercury pollutionin Guizhou province

Local water managementin Xining, Qinghai province

Persistant Organic Pollutants(POPs) in Chongqing

Waste water treatmentinnovation

Environmental surveillanceand information managementin Heilongjiang province

Environmental surveillanceand informationmanagement in Yantai

Wastewatermanagement in Jiaxing

River rehabilitation in Shanghai

Lake restorationin Inner Mongolia

Acid rain monitoringin south and southwestern China

Environmental informationmanagement in Beijing

Climate change and contaminants

Climate change and nitrogen

Environmental policycapacity building

Environmental policy

2009年12月7日星期一 9Thorjørn Larssen

NIVA cooperation in China since 1995

• Development cooperation• Capacity building and knowledge transfer• Research cooperation and joint publications• Exchange of visiting scientists and students

• Currently involved in 7 funded projects + spin-off– Funded by Norwegian Embassy/Ministry of Foreign

Affairs, NFR/NORKLIMA, Swedish Development Agency– Topics: Environmental contaminants, water resources,

climate change impacts, waste water treatment

2009年12月7日星期一 10Thorjørn Larssen

Funding

• Most of our funding has been for development cooperation

• Capacity building on environmental policy issues highest priority

• Research often spinoff, on own co-funding

• Funding where research is first priority is highly welcome!

2009年12月7日星期一 11Thorjørn Larssen

Chinese cooperation partners

• National and local environmental administration and their research institutes

• Universities and CAS institutes– Tsinghua University– Institute of Geochemistry CAS– Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences CAS– Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry CAS

• Big change in cooperation partners since start in 1995– From funding driven to knowledge driven

• Fast development in Chinese research quality– More and more scientifically challenging for us

• Increasing potential for innovation and commercialization

2009年12月7日星期一 12Thorjørn Larssen

Basis for successful scientific cooperation

• Presence– Frequent travel– Long term visits (both ways)

• Expertise • Funding • Student involvement• Publication

– More pressure on publication in CN than NO

• Long term relations

2009年12月7日星期一 13Thorjørn Larssen

Thank you!

Thank you!