On December 6, 2024, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, became the first city in the country to launch a pilot program aimed at promoting the high-quality development of the low-altitude economy through meteorological empowerment.

Over the past year, Chengdu's meteorological departments have actively explored and pursued strategies to "establish mechanisms, strengthen foundations, build platforms, and optimize scenarios", continuously yielding innovative practical results in leveraging meteorology to empower the growth of the low-altitude economy.

Refined Governance and Policy Framework

The mechanism and standard systems for meteorological empowerment of low-altitude economic development are increasingly refined.

Chengdu Municipal meteorological Department (hereinafter referred to as the Department) has actively established a new governance framework tailored to the growth of the low-altitude economy, clearly defining new meteorological functions in top-level design. It has proactively engaged and participated in advance in the formulation of 12 key policy documents, thereby clarifying the functional roles and safeguarding responsibilities of meteorology in low-altitude economic development from a policy perspective.

UAV delivery scenario Credits to Pengzhou Transportation Bureau

Enhanced 3D Observation and Precise Forecasting

The capability of three-dimensional (3D) observation and precise forecasting for meteorological empowerment of low-altitude economic development continues to enhance.

Chengdu has incorporated the layout of meteorological facilities into the city's Low-Altitude Flight Infrastructure Plan. Building on this foundation, and in response to the characteristics of multi-tiered flyable airspace, Chengdu has formulated the Chengdu Low-Altitude Meteorological Monitoring Infrastructure Plan, providing a science-based basis for precisely meeting the diverse needs of different airspace sectors.

Platform Innovation and Collaborative Development

Platform construction, resource sharing, and collaborative development have been significantly advanced.

Leveraging the Chengdu Low-Altitude Meteorology Laboratory, the Department has focused on tackling core technological challenges and conducted R&D across 8 key areas. It has collaborated with 21 organizations to conduct meteorological observation experiments in 8 testing scenarios and actively promoted the establishment of a low-altitude meteorological innovation team by Sichuan Provincial Meteorological Service.

The low-altitude meteorological service platform

In addition, Chengdu Intelligent Meteorological Service Integration Platform developed by the Department has been put into operation.

By creating a specialized low-altitude meteorological dataset that integrates observation, 3D real-time conditions, forecasts, and meteorological impact indicators for various flight equipment, it enables dual-channel applications. Firstly, it directly connects to the low-altitude traffic management service platform, providing precise meteorological support for low-altitude transportation.

Secondly, it delivers tailored meteorological services to low-altitude economic scenarios via a mobile APP, with the "Chengdu Meteorology" APP serving 62,200 flight operations.

Scenario-Based Applications

Nowadays, Chengdu's meteorological departments have installed 39 laser wind radars, 35 urban canopy meteorological observation stations, and 100 intelligent micro-meteorological observation stations across 6 demonstration application scenarios.

They have also developed 15 types of low-altitude meteorological data products across 8 categories, which have been integrated into the digital infrastructure for low-altitude traffic management services.

Additionally, the meteorological departments have innovatively launched a dedicated meteorological service section on the Chengdu Data Element Circulation Service Platform, featuring 19 categories of meteorological data products for low-altitude operations, transportation, agriculture, and others, thereby empowering a wide range of industries.

Meteorological monitoring equipment at the UAV take-off and landing site of Shanshan Health Center in Longquanyi District Photoed by FU Jie

Centering on low-altitude economic scenarios such as manned transport, logistics distribution, public services, and cultural-sports tourism, the Department has established 5 major demonstration application scenarios.

They are unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) delivery of medical supplies in Longquanyi district, Pengzhou's "Sky Eye" UAV training base for inspection and logistics, comprehensive low-altitude applications at Jintang Huaizhou General Aviation Airport, low-altitude operations at Chongzhou Haoyun General Aviation Airport and the Tianfu Granary Demonstration Zone, and UAV inspection for community governance in Luxu, Tianfu New Area.

Besides during this year's World Games held in Chengdu, meteorological support, through UAV-based detection, has ensured the smooth execution for low-altitude fireworks displays and UAV-based events.

Global Perspectives

In this October international officials and experts of Seminar on Standardization of Enhancing Adaptability to Climate Change for Developing countries came to Chengdu to dig more about the intelligent and standardized development of meteorological services of the city.

They expressed that China's meteorological departments, by harnessing meteorological science and technology, have continuously enhanced their capabilities in precise monitoring, accurate forecasting, and tailored services, which echoes the principle of putting people and life first, strongly supporting tackling various extreme meteorological disasters amid the current global climate change, and safeguarding the lives and property of the people.

During the visit

In collaboration with the Department

Planner/Editor: LIU Shuqiao