Meteorology Law of the People's Republic of China

Meteorology Law of the People's Republic of China

Order of the President [1999] No. 23

October 31, 1999

(Adopted at the 12th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress on October 31,1999 and promulgated by Order of the President [1999] No. 23 on October 31,1999)

Contents
Chapter I General Provisions
Chapter II Construction and Management of Meteorological Facilities
Chapter III Meteorological Observation
Chapter IV Meteorological Forecast and Severe Weather Warning
Chapter V Prevention of Meteorological Disasters
Chapter VI Exploitation and Protection of Climatic Resources
Chapter VII Legal Responsibility
Chapter VIII Supplementary Provisions

Chapter I General Provisions
　
Article 1 This Law is enacted for the purpose of developing meteorological service, standardizing meteorological activities, ensuring the accurate and timely issue of meteorological forecast, preventing meteorological disasters, properly exploiting and effectively protecting climatic resources, and providing meteorological services for economic development, national defense, social development and people's well-being.
　
Article 2 This Law shall be observed by units and individuals that engage in meteorological observation, forecasting, services, prevention of meteorological disasters, exploitation of climatic resources and research in meteorological science and technology, which are carried out in the territory of the People's Republic of China and the sea areas under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China.
　
Article 3 Meteorological service is a basic public welfare service for economic development, national defense, social development and people's wellbeing. Public welfare meteorological services shall be the first priority in meteorological work.
People's governments at or above the county level shall strengthen their leadership over and coordination of meteorological activities, and incorporate meteorological service into the national economic and social development plans and fiscal budgets of the central and local governments in order to ensure their full function in the service of the general public, in government decision-making and in economic development.
Local meteorological projects initiated by local people's governments at or above the county level to meet the needs of local social and economic development shall mainly be financed by the said governments themselves. On condition that unpaid public welfare meteorological services are guaranteed, meteorological offices and stations may provide paid meteorological services in accordance with law.
　
Article 4 Meteorological offices and stations subordinate to the competent meteorological departments of counties or cities shall chiefly serve agricultural production, providing, on their own initiative and in a timely manner, public welfare meteorological information services needed by local agricultural production.
　
Article 5 The competent meteorological department under the State Council is responsible for meteorological work nationwide. Local competent meteorological departments at different levels are responsible for meteorological work in their own administrative regions under the leadership of the competent meteorological departments at a higher level and the people's governments at the corresponding level. Meteorological offices and stations subordinate to the other relevant departments under the State Council or under the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall be subject to guidance, supervision and professional management by the competent meteorological departments at the same level.
　
Article 6 Units and individuals that engage in meteorological activities shall comply with the meteorological technical standards, rules and regulations formulated by the State.
　
Article 7 The State encourages and supports research in and popularization of meteorological science and technology, trains meteorological professionals, spreads the use of advanced meteorological science and technology, protects the achievements scored in meteorological science and technology, increases international cooperation and exchange in the field of meteorology and develops the meteorological information industry, all in order to improve meteorological work.
People's governments at various levels shall pay attention to and support the construction and operation of the meteorological offices and stations in areas inhabited by ethnic peoples, in outlying and poverty-stricken areas, in areas where life is hard, and on islands.
Units and individuals that make outstanding contributions in meteorological work shall be rewarded.
　
Article 8 Meteorological activities that organizations and individuals of other countries wish to conduct in the territory of the People's Republic of China and the sea areas under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China shall be subject to approval by the competent meteorological department under the State Council in conjunction with relevant departments.

Chapter II Construction and Management of Meteorological Facilities
　
Article 9 The competent meteorological department under the State Council shall make arrangements for relevant departments to work out plans for the construction of key meteorological facilities including meteorological observation instrumentation, transmission devices dedicated to meteorological information and specialized large meteorological equipment. These plans shall be submitted to the State Council for approval before they are implemented. Any readjustment or modification of the plans shall be submitted to the State Council for approval.
Plans for the construction of meteorological facilities shall be drawn up in conformity with the principles of a reasonable layout, efficient utilization, and full consideration of both immediate and future needs, so as to avoid duplicated construction.
　
Article 10 Before the proposals and feasibility reports for the construction of key meteorological facility projects are submitted for approval, these projects shall, depending on the limits of authority for examination and approval of such projects, be subject to examination and agreement by the competent meteorological department under the State Council, or by the competent meteorological departments of provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the Central Government.
　
Article 11 The State protects meteorological facilities in accordance with law.
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