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.”
