16 October 2025|News
On October 14, 2025, Dr. Edgar E. Gutierrez-Espeleta, Co-Chair of the Seventh Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-7) and former Minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica, engaged in a fruitful dialogue with the UNEP-IEMP at the invitation of Prof. Linxiu Zhang, UNEP-IEMP Director.
As a new Co-Chair of UNEP-IEMP Scientific Advisory Group, Dr. Gutierrez-Espeleta shared his wealth of experience and insights as a prominent leader in the fields of science and environmental policy on a global scale. In his remarks, he underscored the critical role that scientific research plays in shaping effective policies and outlined the various synergies needed to advance sustainability initiatives. He emphasized the importance of utilizing diverse indicators to measure progress and highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence as a transformative tool for enhancing environmental management.
The exchange prompted a series of engaging discussions among UNEP-IEMP staff and students to shared own perspectives, further enriching the conversation on the intersection of research, technology, and sustainable development. As the session concluded, Dr. Gutierrez-Espeleta encouraged the audience to remain committed to a collaborative approach in tackling environmental challenges.
15 October 2025|News
The UNEP-IEMP 8th Steering Committee Meeting and 6th Science Advisory Group meeting were jointly organized on 13 October 2025, 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 praised for its value added as the UNEP`s first collaborative center in the Global South.
Recommendations on outreach, sustainability, partnership and policy impacts of current work were well discussed. It is encouraged that UNEP-IEMP, through its interdisciplinary and nexus approach, will play a more prominent role in connecting agendas across the three Rio Conventions (on climate change, biodiversity and land degradation), ensuring coherence in global environmental governance.
The Meeting also approved the UNEP-IEMP Work Plan 2025/2026, with its 35 projects developed at different stages in 4 thematic portfolios and institutional development component.
Group photo of the meetings
09 October 2025|News
On September 29, 2025, UNEP-IEMP organized a seminar on agricultural socialized services and circular agriculture, as well as a kickoff meeting for the development model and effectiveness evaluation project of circular agriculture. The kick-off meeting invited more than 20 institutions from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing University, Renmin University of China, Rural Energy and Environment Agency, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Research Center for Rural Economy RCRE, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and other institutions to participate in the meeting.
The meeting began with Ms. Zhang Yanping from the World Resources Institute introducing the project background, and Director Zhang Linxiu from UNEP-IEMP delivering a welcome speech. Next, Associate Researcher Xu Xiangbo introduced the "Green Circular Agriculture Development Model and Efficiency Evaluation" project from the aspects of project background, objectives, methods, and progress. This project takes agricultural socialized service organizations as the starting point, and through pilot research in Jilin, Henan, Sichuan, and Fujian provinces, combined with life cycle assessment methods, aims to synthesize typical circular agriculture models, evaluate their ecological and economic efficiency, and ultimately provide suggestions for policy formulation. In the subsequent discussion session, the attendees had in-depth discussions and exchanges on project activities and case study selection, technical models and implementation mechanisms, precise evaluation of benefits, and promoting sustainable development of circular agriculture in planting and breeding.
Venue of the seminar and kick-off meeting
This kick-off meeting promoted in-depth communication between the research team and multiple experts, clarified the focus direction and key issues of the project, and laid a solid foundation for the effective promotion and communication cooperation of subsequent research.
29 September 2025|News
On September 23, 2025, the parallel forum of the 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves — "Ecological Monitoring, Data Integration, and Effectiveness Evaluation of Biosphere Reserves" — was successfully convened in Hangzhou. The forum was hosted by the Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN) and co-organized by the UNEP–International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP) and the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). It attracted more than 150 participants from research institutes, nature reserves, international organizations, and NGOs, who engaged in in-depth exchanges on key issues related to ecological monitoring, data fusion, and effectiveness evaluation in biosphere reserves.
The opening ceremony was chaired by Prof. Linxiu Zhang, Director of UNEP-IEMP. Prof. Guirui Yu, Academician of CAS, and Prof. Fenzhen Su, Deputy Director-General of the Bureau of Basic Science and Technology Capacity, CAS, delivered welcome remarks.
Prof. Yu reviewed China’s participation in UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) and paid tribute to the scientists who had made important contributions to the development of biosphere reserves worldwide. He emphasized that biosphere reserves are not only at the forefront of biodiversity conservation, but also serve as vital platforms for exploring harmonious coexistence between people and nature. He highlighted three core scientific tasks: leveraging integrated "Space-Air-Ground" observations to reveal ecosystem dynamics; using artificial intelligence and cloud computing to achieve deep integration of multi-source data; and establishing scientific assessment systems covering ecosystem health, biodiversity, and ecosystem service functions.
Prof. Su underlined that over the past three decades CERN has achieved remarkable results in long-term ecological monitoring and data integration, particularly in building comprehensive observation networks and big data platforms that provide strong support for protected area management. He called for strengthening international cooperation to further enhance smart monitoring and predictive capacities, thereby providing solid scientific support for addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.
During the thematic presentation session, experts showcased China’s latest research progress in ecological monitoring and evaluation. Topics included collaborative management practices in protected areas, the development of smart monitoring and management systems for nature reserves, the application of camera trapping in wildlife monitoring, methods for ecosystem health assessment, and analyses of human–nature relationships at the watershed scale with corresponding strategies.
In the subsequent roundtable discussions, participants exchanged insights under two themes: "Advanced Monitoring Technologies and Applications" and "Essessment, Science, and Policy". Experts shared experiences and reflections on technology development, policy alignment, and regional practices.
In her concluding remarks, Prof. Linxiu Zhang, Director of UNEP-IEMP, noted that the forum vividly demonstrated how advanced scientific approaches can drive adaptive management of protected areas and provide scientific foundations for policy-making. She stressed that the forum highlighted the synergies among scientific research, management practice, and international cooperation, and expressed her hope that, through joint efforts, biosphere reserves will continue to contribute wisdom and strength toward realizing the global vision of "living in harmony with nature."
29 September 2025|News
From September 25 to 27, 2025, the Fourth International Conference on Mountain Futures was grandly held in Kunming, China, and hosted by the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Under the theme"Inclusive Bioeconomy: Mountain-Based Approaches for Nature Positive and Climate Resilience", the conference brought nearly 200 scientists, policymakers, private sector, development partners, and United Nations agencies from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe to share knowledge, innovations and community-driven solutions, exploring ways to enable mountain economies to both nurture the ecosystem and improve people's livelihoods in mountain regions from the Himalayas to the Andes, from the African highlands to the Mainland Southeast Asia and southwestern China.
UNEP-IEMP was among the main conference co-organizers. In this regard, Ms Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, DeputyExecutiveDirectorofUNEP (through video address), delivered a welcome speech – stressing the importance of mountain ecosystems in achieving the SDGs. Prof. Linxiu Zhang (UNEP-IEMP Director) and other UNEP-IEMP members also contributed to several presentations and keynote speeches around the topics of bioeconomy, indigenous wisdom, livelihoods, technology transfer and sustainability.
Ms Elizabeth Maruma Mrema (UNEP DED) delivering welcome speech (Photo Credit: KIB,CAS )
Prof. Linxiu Zhang (UNEP-IEMP Director) delivering keynote presentation(Photo Credit: KIB,CAS )
From consensus to collaborative creation, the conference launched the "Global Montane Bioeconomy Framework" and initiated transnational actions in five key bioeconomic hotspot regions.
19 September 2025|News
On September 16-17, 2025, Dr. Linxiu Zhang, Director of UNEP-IEMP, was invited to attend the 10th Kubuqi International Desert Forum as a representative of UNEP, which was co-hosted by People’s Government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The forum was centered on the theme of "Combat Desertification Scientifically, promote green development".
At the panel discussion, in response to the question about how the UN Environment Programme-International Ecosystem Management Partnership can leverage its strengths to promote scientific cooperation in combating desertification and help more countries, Director Zhang explained briefly the role of UNEP-IEMP as a South-South Cooperation platform, and introduced the joint work and achievements in Global South countries such as Mauritania.
For more information about this forum, please go to the official wechat account named "库布其国际沙漠论坛发布".
04 September 2025|News
On September 3, 2025, UNEP-IEMP visited to the State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection (hereinafter referred to as the "SKLGP") of Chengdu University of Technology. The purpose of this visit was to gain a deeper understanding of the SKLGP’s progress in scientific research innovation and international cooperation, and to explore future cooperation opportunities in the fields of environmental management and sustainable development.
During the visit, accompanied by relevant leaders of the SKLGP, Director Zhang Linxiu listened to a detailed introduction by the laboratory on its achievements in international cooperation and future plans. As a national-level scientific research hub in China’s field of geohazard research, SKLGP has not only played a key technical support role in major domestic geohazard prevention and control projects, but also shared its advanced monitoring and early warning, ecological restoration, and engineering governance technologies and experience with countries and regions along the "Belt and Road" and other parts of the world threatened by geohazards through a number of international cooperation projects, demonstrating a high sense of international responsibility and technological influence.
After listening to the report, Director Zhang praised the State Key Laboratory for its outstanding achievements in the fields of geohazard prevention and environmental protection, especially its contributions to promoting technology internationalization and knowledge sharing. She stated, "The scientific research work of the State Key Laboratory not only has important theoretical value, but also exerts significant practical impact, providing valuable Chinese solutions and technical support for global disaster risk reduction and the building of resilient and sustainable communities."
At the same time, from the perspective of global ecosystem management, Director Zhang also put forward forward-looking suggestions for the laboratory’s future development. She emphasized that in the face of increasingly complex global environmental challenges—such as the frequent occurrence of disaster risks amid worsening climate change—cross-field and interdisciplinary collaborative cooperation is crucial. She encouraged the State Key Laboratory to further strengthen interdisciplinary integration and exchange cooperation with fields such as ecology, sociology, economics, and climatology, and integrate multi-dimensional perspectives including social, economic, and environmental aspects. This will help form more comprehensive, systematic, and efficient solutions, and promote the upgrading of research achievements from the technical level to the level of global sustainable development policies and practices.
This exchange visiting not only enhanced mutual understanding between UNEP-IEMP and SKLGP, but also laid a solid foundation for potential future cooperation between the two parties in areas such as joint research, capacity building, and knowledge innovation.
04 September 2025|News
Chengdu, September 2, 2025 —Director Linxiu Zhang, visited the Chengdu Institute of Biology (CIB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) for the seminar, focusing on the theme of duckweed technology innovation. This visit aimed to deepen cooperation in the fields of ecological protection and bioeconomy, and jointly explore innovative solutions to address global environmental and food security challenges.
At the seminar, Professor Hai Zhao from the Research Center for Biological Resources and Ecological Environment of CIB, CAS, delivered a keynote report on behalf of his research team. He elaborated on the team's two-decade-long systematic research achievements centered on the development and utilization of duckweed resources. The team has successfully built an innovative R&D system integrating biodiversity conservation, ecological environment restoration, and food security assurance, demonstrating the great potential of duckweed in addressing multiple global challenges.
Director Zhang pointed out that the work of Professor Zhao’s team is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially providing comprehensive solutions for eradicating hunger (SDG 2), ensuring clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), taking climate action (SDG 13), and protecting terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15). She emphasized in particular that promoting the transformation towards a bio-based economy based on biological resources is becoming a key path to enhance global environmental governance and development resilience. The team's research is an outstanding practice in this field and has global promotion value. She expressed the hope that UNEP-IEMP and CIB will further strengthen their partnership in the future, jointly promote the application and demonstration of these innovative technologies in Global South countries, and enable China's technological innovation to contribute more to global sustainable development.
04 September 2025|News
Chengdu, September 2, 2025 — At the invitation of Chengdu University of Technology, Ms. Linxiu Zhang, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme—International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), delivered a keynote speech at the university’s 74th "Mount Everest Lecture". The theme of her lecture was "Climate, Ecology, Livelihoods Synergy: Advancing Sustainable Development."
In her address, Director Zhang emphasized that in the face of global environmental challenges, effective ecosystem management is essential to fostering the common development of humankind. She noted that fragmented actions by individual sectors are often insufficient to address complex global issues, and that only by transforming them into multi-dimensional, shared collaborative goals can genuine sustainable progress be achieved. In this process, she stressed, multilateral cooperation is more effective than bilateral approaches.
Director Zhang highlighted that the world is currently facing a "triple environmental crisis" of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and that the interlinkage of these crises is driving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seriously off track. She called on the international community to adopt a systemic approach that fosters cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary cooperation to safeguard the health of both humanity and the planet.
She further emphasized that diversified agricultural and non-agricultural income activities can significantly improve household livelihoods and enhance adaptive capacity in the face of environmental change. At the same time, community participation, inclusiveness, and collaboration among diverse stakeholders are critical to the success of conservation and livelihood improvement interventions. Ensuring the participation of women, men, and socially and economically disadvantaged groups is vital. Empowering women is not only a matter of gender equality, but also a key pathway to achieving multiple SDGs.
Director Linxiu Zhang delivered a lecture
27 August 2025|News
Beijing, August 25, 2025 –Ms Siriporn Reangjit, President of Kasikorn Bank (China) Co., Ltd., and Ms Yuki Yin, Deputy Branch Manager (Beijing), visited UNEP-IEMP to explore potential areas of collaboration.
DrLinxiu Zhang, Director of UNEP-IEMP, warmly welcomed the delegation and presented brief introduction of UNEP-IEMP, highlighting its unique role as an extended arm of UNEP on the ground and in partnership with others on South-South Cooperation around the Climate, Ecosystems, and Livelihoods nexus.Ms Siriporn Reangjit then introduced the Kasikorn Bank (K Bank), as one of the biggest commercial banks in Thailand with presence in many international locations, including China. The K Bank also supports reforestation efforts and livelihood enhancement initiatives in Thailand, partly through its KasikornFoundation.
The meeting saw a number of common interests and then discussed potential areas of cooperation. Importantly, since China has tremendous success in the areas of ecosystem restoration and poverty reduction, technology transfer and knowledge exchange from China to Thailand to address the issues can be facilitated to bring success.
