08 September 2026|News
On September 1, 2026, UNEP-IEMP successfully co-hosted the annual international symposium on "The Path to Achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) Goals" in Beijing. The symposium, themed "National Reports and Process Prospects," was jointly organized by the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center (FECO) of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Chinese Academy of Forestry, the Committee on Biodiversity of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the UNDP-GEF Migratory Flyway Network Project, and the UN Environment Programme–International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP). Representatives from government agencies, research institutions, enterprises, and non-governmental organizations worldwide gathered to exchange views and share insights on topics including "Progress in GBF Implementation and Biodiversity Mainstreaming," "Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration," and "Collaborative Efforts to Advance Biodiversity Protection."
Professor Zhang Linxiu, Director of UNEP-IEMP, moderated the first roundtable discussion. Distinguished panelists included Ms. Alla Aleksanyan, Director of the Department of Plant Diversity and Ecosystem Research at the International Scientific-Educational Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia—the Presidency of COP17 to the Convention on Biological Diversity; Ms. Diana Pulido, Senior Coordinator for Cooperation and International Affairs at the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute of Colombia—the Presidency of CBD COP16; Dr. Alice Stuart, Researcher at the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, University of Oxford; Dr. Julee Boan, Director of Partnerships for the International Boreal Forest Project at NRDC; and Ms. Wang Ye, Deputy Director of the Biodiversity Convention Division at FECO. They shared their observations, reflections, and expectations regarding the "Seventh National Report." Director Aleksanyan introduced that Armenia's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) has been aligned with the GBF, and the country is accelerating implementation, financing, and monitoring, aiming to demonstrate tangible conservation outcomes at COP17. Ms. Pulido noted that Colombia has already met its protected area coverage targets and is now shifting its focus from "expanding coverage" to "improving quality," employing multidimensional indicators to assess the effectiveness of protected area management. Dr. Stuart highlighted the work of UK scholars in conservation and monitoring technologies, emphasizing the need to address socioeconomic dimensions in conservation efforts. Dr. Boan discussed the unique challenges faced by Canada, the country with abundant biological resources in monitoring and protection, advocating for attention to crop security alongside conservation. Ms. Wang Ye presented China's approach of localizing the 23 GBF action targets into 27 national goals, with national reports jointly prepared through inter-ministerial collaboration. She underscored that the core strategy for conservation lies in mainstreaming biodiversity into the daily work and decision-making of all sectors. The panelists universally agreed that the success of biodiversity conservation hinges on cross-sectoral coordination and mainstreaming, rather than relying solely on dedicated funds or isolated initiatives.
The scene of the first roundtable discussion
For more details on the symposium, please refer to related coverage.
17 August 2026|News
A UNEP-IEMP project team led by Programme Manager Ms. Wang Guoqin, conducted a productive field mission in Kenya for the project "Ecosystem Restoration for Enhancing Livelihoods and Addressing Climate Change: China-Kenya Cooperation on Bamboo Technology Transfer" during July 30-Aug 7, 2026.
Together with the project’s local implementing partners, the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology and the Sango Bamboo Association, field assessments on bamboo agroforestry and riverbank restoration in Nzoia River Basin identified key achievements, lessons learnt, opportunities and challenges. Continued joint plans combining bamboo nursery, riverbank stabilization with multiple species, short- and long-term intercropping systems, bamboo home garden, and sustainable plantation maintenance were formulated for implementation.
Field assessment of the riparian restoration progress in the lower reach of Nozia River Basin, Busia county
This joint mission also launched the first bamboo weaving training and production under the Sango Bamboo Association of Bunyala sub-county, Busia, at its given land and facility of the ConstituencyIndustrialDevelopmentCenter. Twenty-nine community members were enabled to produce bamboo strips from local bamboo forest and weaving productions for the tourism market. Through co-creating Kenya culture featured bamboo souvenir products, this training enables the Sango Bamboo Association and its members to generate income as alternative livelihoods.
Bamboo weaving training at the Sango Bamboo Association, Busia county
The team also delivered full-cycle bamboo weaving training at Nairobi and Narok counties, covering bamboo strip processing, handcraft carving and weaving techniques. Local partnership and Mara community engagement brought such souvenirs closer to tourism access. A local value chain integrating bamboo plantation, community-based bamboo handcraft production and hotel tourism sales was piloted through the project efforts.
Group picture of the Exploring a Community-Led Bamboo Bioeconomy Dialogue, Nairobi
In Nairobi, the delegation held stakeholder consultations with Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment, African Development Bank, World Bank, World Resource Institute Africa, Bamboo Innovation Center Africa, Habitat for Humanity International, Dream Building Welfare Association, Lazizi Welfare Foundation and ForumCiv. Those stakeholder consultations covered the topics of long-term direction and financing for bamboo value chain in Kenya, bamboo agroforestry scaling-up, eco-bamboo housing demonstration, bamboo weaving for tourism market and watershed restoration collaboration.
This field mission facilitated more community groups, interested stakeholders and donors to engage in bamboo value chain development in Kenya. Such enhanced Kenya-China bamboo cooperation will advance degraded land restoration, local green jobs and climate resilience in tandem.
28 July 2026|News
On July 20, 2026, the Secretary-General's Dialogue with Beneficiaries and Local Partners of UN Agencies in Chinawas held in Kunming. Secretary-General António Guterres travelled to Kunming specifically to gain first-hand insight into the implementation outcomes of UN agencies Partnership Projects in Yunnan Province. The Dialogue was structured around three thematic pillars: biodiversity and climate change, rural revitalization, and gender equality. Nominated by UNEP China office, Community Agri-biodiversity Conservation Project jointly implemented by the Farmer Seed Network and the UN Environment Programme-International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP) was selected to participate in the dialogue. Ms. TIAN Milin of the Farmer Seed Network and Ms. ZHANG Xiuyun—a women’s representative from Shitoucheng Village, Baoshan Township, Yulong County, and board chair of the Baoshi Planting and Breeding Professional Cooperative on behalf of the project partners, attended the Dialogue together.
At the Dialogue, Zhang Xiuyun delivered a live presentation to Secretary-General Guterres, recounting the authentic story of how smallholder women farmers in China safeguard agricultural biodiversity. She stated "Seeds are not just food; they are also the wisdom passed down from our ancestors. We rural women are not only the custodians of seeds but also the hope of our communities, and contributors to global agri-biodiversity conservation." Secretary-General Guterres offered positive remarks on Yunnan’s practices in fostering harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.
Ms. ZHANG Xiuyun communicated with Mr. Guterres
Perched atop a mushroom-shaped megalith in the Jinsha River gorge, Shitoucheng Village is a traditional Naxi settlement with a history of over 1,300 years. In 2013, the Farmer Seed Network introduced ecosystem-based conservation approaches—including participatory plant breeding and community seed banks—into Shitoucheng, supporting local farming households, particularly women, in carrying out in situ conservation of agricultural biodiversity. Subsequently, with the joining of UNEP-IEMP, partners have continuously accompanied Shitoucheng’s growth, helping community champions "go global" to learn from international experience, while also facilitating the sharing of Shitoucheng’s conservation practices in international fora.
The village has established a participatory core group and set up two community seed banks, which have collected and preserved 228 traditional landraces. With technical backing from plant breeders, Zhang Xiuyun successfully developed three new maize varieties based on heritage seeds. In 2018, she led village women to register an ecological farming cooperative, creating the "Baoshi" brand and transforming traditional farming knowledge into sustainable livelihoods.
With sustained support and facilitation from its partners, Shitoucheng’s experience has gradually extended to multiple communities across the Jinsha River basin. In 2016, initiated by Mu Wenchuan—head of Shitoucheng’s participatory core group—four Naxi and Mosuo villages within the basin voluntarily formed the "Naxi Mountain Communities Network," establishing a cross-community platform for cooperation, mutual assistance, and learning. This network has since evolved into an inter-community exchange and collaboration platform, and with the support of external partners, has participated in numerous domestic and international exchanges. In 2021, Shitoucheng’s approach to conserving and utilizing traditional landraces was selected as a "Biodiversity 100+ Global Typical Case." In 2024, the Shitoucheng Traditional Mountain Agro-ecological Farming System was recognized as a China Potential Typical Case for OECMs. Also, in 2024, the Naxi Mountain Communities Network was shortlisted as a finalist for the Equator Prize.
Looking ahead, the Naxi Mountain Communities Network will continue to deepen community-led conservation and sustainable use of agri-biodiversity, joining hands with more communities and diverse partners to strengthen local biodiversity conservation and knowledge-sharing. It will redouble its efforts to bring smallholder farmers and women into the fold of international exchanges and cooperation, so that community voices and resilience may find their place in the grand global endeavor of biodiversity conservation.
10 July 2026|News
The 2026 Cheng Siwei Fund award recipients were recently announced. Dr. Sun Mingxing, Associate Professor of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGSNRR, CAS) a member of the United Nations Environment Programme–International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), received the Cheng Siwei Award for Outstanding Research Achievement. Zhang Shumin, a master student, received the Cheng Siwei Outstanding Student Award.
Dr. Sun has long focused on the sustainable transformation of food systems, energy transition, and climate change adaptation. His research is oriented toward national needs and major real-world challenges, with a strong commitment to scientific innovation. Zhang Shumin is diligent and hardworking, has achieved excellent academic results, and demonstrates a strong sense of collective honor, reflecting well-rounded qualities and the positive spirit of a young scholar.
Looking ahead, UNEP-IEMP will continue to strengthen scientific innovation and talent cultivation. It will encourage researchers and young students to address important scientific questions and practical needs in the field of sustainable development, with a focus on climate change, ecosystem management, and livelihoods improvement nexus.
Associate Professor Mingxing Sun Received 2026 Cheng Siwei Award for Outstanding Research Achievement
The Cheng Siwei Award for Outstanding Research Achievement recognizes researchers who are actively engaged in scientific and technological innovation and have made outstanding contributions to research. The Cheng Siwei Outstanding Student Award honors students who demonstrate diligence, academic excellence, and strong overall performance. At the end of 2015, in accordance with the wishes of Mr. Cheng Siwei, his family donated his salary and royalties to the Education Foundation of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and established the Cheng Siwei Fund.
12 June 2026|News
The UNEP-IEMP 9th Steering Committee Meeting and 7th Science Advisory Group meeting were jointly organized on 9 June 2026, in Beijing, China. It was co-chaired by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
At the meeting, UNEP-IEMP’s programme and institutional development progress were reviewed, and the biennial work plan was proposed and discussed. The highlighted progresses on science for policy, solution-oriented actions, South-South Cooperation, and power of partnership were highly acclaimed for its diversified actions, wide-range partnership, and integration.
Recommendations on outreach and policy impacts were emphasized. This is particularly important as this year marks the final year of the decade-long UNEP’s Climate-Ecosystem-Livelihoods Flagship Programme, which is led by UNEP-IEMP.
The Meeting also approved the UNEP-IEMP Work Plan 2026/2027, with its 35 projects developed at different stages in 4 thematic portfolios and institutional development component.
02 June 2026|News
Geneva, Switzerland, 27 May 2026 — At the GEO 2026 Symposium, the side event "EO-enabled MRV for Nature-based Solutions and Carbon Management" was successfully held. Bringing together stakeholders from across research institutions, national environmental authorities, international organizations, and the private sector, the event explored how EO applications—from carbon accounting and ecosystem restoration to forest monitoring, carbon markets, and climate finance—can move beyond technical capability to real-world impact. The event highlighted a growing shift from data-rich Earth Observation (EO) systems toward operational Earth Intelligence that can directly inform policy and implementation, and underscored the urgent need to bridge observation, socio-economic context, and decision-making.
Prof. Zhang Linxiu, Director of UNEP-IEMP, set the strategic tone in her keynote presentation, "Earth Intelligence for the SDGs: Linking Observation, Action and Impact." She emphasized that the next frontier of EO lies not in improving data availability alone, but in integrating EO with socio-economic information to enhance the relevance, inclusiveness, and usability of decision-making processes. She highlighted that effective climate and ecosystem action requires answering critical questions beyond environmental change itself: who is affected, how livelihoods are impacted, and how development objectives can be aligned.
From a UNEP-IEMP perspective, this integration is essential to transforming EO into Earth Intelligence that serves sustainable development outcomes. Zhang further called on GEO to advance thematic pilot initiatives that combine observational, socio-economic, and policy data into coherent, decision-oriented solutions—moving from fragmented datasets to integrated systems that can guide national climate action and nature-based solutions at scale.
Supporting this vision, Prof. Chen Zhi, Director of the CERN Synthesis Center and Professor at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, demonstrated how robust scientific infrastructure can underpin such integrated approaches. Presenting on behalf of the Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN) and ChinaFLUX, she showcased China’s long-term ecosystem and carbon monitoring systems—including flux towers, ecological stations, remote sensing platforms, atmospheric modeling, and ground-based inventories—which together form a comprehensive multi-source data integration framework.
The event also showcased national-level case studies from Colombia and Gabon on natural resource and forest monitoring systems, as well as emerging applications of EO in supporting carbon markets and climate finance. These cases demonstrated that transitioning from isolated projects to national systems requires strong governance frameworks, capacity building, and sustained investment.
Participants widely agreed that the future of Earth Observation lies in advancing toward truly operational Earth Intelligence. Success should no longer be measured by the volume of data collected, but by whether information effectively supports real-world decision-making, credible carbon accounting, nature-based solutions, climate governance, and sustainable development financing. Achieving this will require scientific credibility, institutional ownership, system interoperability, sustainable financing, and strong cross-sector partnerships.
Group photo of participants
27 May 2026|News
26 May 2026, Beijing – The United Nations Environment Programme – International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP) warmly welcomed a delegation from Thailand to exchange knowledge and explore opportunities for expanding collaboration on bamboo and green development. The delegation included representatives from the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA); Wongphai Co., Ltd.; and Lampang Rajabhat University.
Both sides shared their respective work on bamboo as a sustainable material for industrial development, ecosystem restoration, agricultural amendments, carbon sequestration, livelihoods, rural development, and related areas. Experiences from China were also presented. Discussions on potential collaboration between China and Thailand were a highlight, with several opportunities and aspects thoroughly explored.
This visit from the Thai delegation was part of a continued effort by UNEP-IEMP to facilitate South-South cooperation on sustainable bamboo utilization for climate, ecosystem, and livelihoods.
13 May 2026|News
On May 11, 2026, at the invitation of the African Development Bank, UNEP-IEMP team participated in the Partnership Roundtable "Scaling Capacity for Africa’s Transformation: Advancing Strategic Partnerships for Skills, Knowledge, and Leadership". With its overall goal to convene key development partners and academic institutions to advance strategic collaboration on capacity development for Africa, the event was hosted by the African Development Institute of the African Development Bank Group, in partnership with Shanghai Ocean University, in Shanghai, China.
In this regard, Ms. Guoqin Wang, UNEP-IEMP Programme Manager, delivered a presentation to introduce UNEP-IEMP, its strategic areas of work, and engagement in Africa. During discussion session to exchange views on ongoing efforts and explore opportunities for collaboration, UNEP-IEMP also shared views from experiences and lessons in the areas of climate change, ecosystems, and livelihoods, particularly under South-South Cooperation through UNEP-IEMP and partner institutions.
参会嘉宾合影
Group photo of the guests
15 April 2026|News
During 5-8 April 2026, the UNEP-IEMP team, in collaboration with China Agriculture University and Renmin University of China, conducted a training workshop on agricultural policy document collection and text mining analysis in African countries in Sanya, China. This training is part of the NSFC-UNEP collaborative project titled "Mechanisms for the Collaborative Management of Food Security and Sustainable Food System Development between China and Africa". Its primary objectives are to enhance the research capacity of African scholars in conducting regional agricultural policy analysis, to provide technical support for the development of a cross-national agricultural policy database, and to facilitate South-South knowledge sharing. More than 30 early-career researchers and international students, from Malawi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Zimbabwe, and Trinidad and Tobago, participated in the training.
The venue for the training
UNEP-IEMP intends to continue collaboration with the African researchers and further engage them in subsequent text mining analysis using machine learning methods. This ongoing partnership aims to provide empirical evidence and decision-making references to support African countries in formulating more science-based agricultural policies.
04 March 2026|News
3 March 2026, Beijing – A delegation from the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), led by Dr Nathan Borgford-Parnell, CCAC Science Affairs Lead, visited UNEP-IEMP to introduce the Coalition's current science assessment work and explore opportunities to expand collaboration.
Dr Borgford-Parnell introduced the CCAC, established in 2012 with its Secretariat hosted by UNEP. The Coalition tackles both climate change and air pollution challenges by focusing on short-lived climate pollutants to deliver near-term climate benefits, improve human health, and advance sustainable development. He also highlighted ongoing global assessments, including the Global Economic Assessment of Climate and Clean Air, scheduled for launch in the coming year.
Prof. Zhang Linxiu, UNEP-IEMP Director, shared her early work on nitrogen fertilizer and air pollution from agrifood systems. She further recommended relevant experts and institutions from the Chinese Academy of Sciences that could contribute significantly to the CCAC assessments. Lively exchanges followed on the CCAC's work and potential areas of collaboration, and UNEP-IEMP expressed strong interest in pursuing the partnership.
