COLLEGE PARK, Md. (CBSDC/AP) — The University of Maryland says it is partnering with a Chinese university to track climate change.

The partnership announced Tuesday with Beijing Normal University will develop tools for use in predicting crop failure, changes in commodity prices and preparation for shortages. The creation of an international remote sensing database will be one of the first projects for the new Joint Center on Global Change and Earth System Science. The center will also track land use and cover in addition to monitoring agriculture.

The University of Maryland says collaboration with the Chinese university began in 2006 and an agreement to create the new center follows a trip by the university’s president to China last year with the governor.

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