On April 11, 2024, the kick-off meeting of the project "Water-Food-Ecology Synergy in the Asian Temperate and Tropical Rice Planting Areas and the Implementation Pathways of Relevant SDGs" was successfully held at the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences of Peking University. Director Linxiu Zhang was invited by Professor Zhou Feng's team from Peking University to attend the project launch and deliver a speech. On behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Director Zhang put forward expectations for strengthening the transformation of project results, and suggested that breakthroughs should be made in science for policy, case studies, technical methods, and data support, so as to help countries in the Global South accelerate regional sustainable development. Prof. Zhang wished the project good achievements and hoped that the project would better support the work of UNEP and serve Member States. Li Wencong, Director of the Division of Asian, African and International Organizations of the International Cooperation Bureau of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, pointed out that the country attaches great importance to scientific research funding for international cooperation, and hopes that the NSFC can promote the establishment of long-term, lasting and in-depth cooperative relations between UNEP and other multilateral and bilateral international institutions through the implementation of international cooperation projects. More than 10 experts and scholars in related fields from project sponsors, scientific research institutes and universities were invited to attend the meeting, and more than 30 people from the project team attended the meeting. 

Director Zhang delivered an opening remark on kick-off meeting of "Water-Food-Ecology Synergy in the Asian Temperate and Tropical Rice Planting Areas and the Implementation Pathways of Relevant SDGs" 

On April 19, 2024, Director Zhang attended the kick-off meeting of "Methane Emission Mechanism and Mitigation Pathway of Animal Manure Management in Typical Asian Countries" project. The project is led by the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and participated by collaborators from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other institutions from Vietnam and China. As the world’s second most important greenhouse gas, methane emission reduction is imperative in climate change, pollution control and other aspects to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The meeting was held mainly to discuss the project implementation plan and to obtain experts’ views. Director Zhang, speaking on behalf of UNEP, wished the project smooth implementation and hoped the project would contribute to the SDGs from methane mitigation. 

Group photo of the kick-off meeting of "Methane Emission Mechanism and Mitigation Pathway of Animal Manure Management in Typical Asian Countries" project