From February 20 to 21, 2025, the inaugural International Symposium on "Urban Biodiversity and Sustainable Development" (Asia Region) was successfully held in Xiamen, China. The event was co-hosted by the Biodiversity Committee of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and co-organized by the Institute of Urban Environment of CAS, the United Nations Environment Programme-International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), and the Urban Health and Wellbeing (UHWB) Programme of the International Science Council (ISC). Over 140 representatives from 31 universities, 14 research institutions, and 21 international organizations worldwide gathered to discuss future pathways for urban biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Linxiu Zhang, Director of UNEP-IEMP, emphasized that urban biodiversity has become a core issue in addressing climate change, enhancing residents' well-being, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She highlighted UNEP-IEMP’s efforts to assist local governments in integrating biodiversity conservation into urban development planning through support for implementing Target 12 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), as well as piloting urban ecological restoration projects in Asia and Africa. Dr. Zhang called for advancing urban green transitions through Nature-based Solutions (NbS), stressing that “science-enabled multi-stakeholder collaboration is key to unlocking the potential of urban biodiversity.”
Ms. Linxiu Zhang delivering a speech at the opening ceremony
Experts unanimously agreed that scientific evidence must be swiftly translated into policy tools, with interdisciplinary collaboration bridging knowledge gaps. Cities, they noted, are not only centres for sustainable development challenges but also testing grounds for innovative solutions. The symposium injected new momentum into urban biodiversity research in Asia and showcased “Chinese wisdom” and “UN-driven approaches” for ecological governance in the global urbanization process.
