17 July 2023|News
8-9 July 2023, the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 was successfully held in Guiyang International Ecological Conference Center. The sub-forum on "Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains are Invaluable Assets: Innovations in Practice" hosted by the Guizhou Provincial People's Government, organized by the China Research Academy of Environmental Sciences and the Guizhou Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the China Environmental Protection Foundation was held in the afternoon of July 8. The sub-forum focuses on the practical innovation of the "Green is Gold" concept and is organized around two topics: "Ecological Civilization and Modernization of Harmonious Coexistence between Humanity and Nature" and "Practicing the Idea of 'Green is Gold' and Promoting Green and Low Carbon Development". In total, the Eco Forum Global Guiyang attracted more than 3,200 delegates from 42 countries and regions around the world.
Director Zhang Linxiu was invited to host the first dialogue "Ecological Civilization and Modernization of Harmonious Coexistence between Humanity and Nature". In the second dialogue "Practicing the Idea of 'Green is Gold' and Promoting Green and Low Carbon Development", she introduced the UNEP The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) agri-food system assessment in the national "Green is Gold" practice innovation base Tengchong City, Yunnan Province.
Director Zhang Linxiu began by emphasizing that TEEB's work in Tengchong is part of UNEP's efforts to support its member countries in their green transformation and achieving the SDGs. By conducting an economic assessment of different policy pathways in Tengchong’s agriculture and food systems, both visible and invisible costs and benefits are revealed to support the development and improvement of sustainable agriculture policies for agri-food system transformation. Five key messages from the TEEB Tengchong assessment were shared with the audience:
1. Tengchong City is rich in the values of ecosystem regulation services such as water regulation and purification, soil conservation, and carbon sequestration, and they are insensitive to different agricultural development pathways. This indicates that the ecosystems in Tengchong City are resilient enough to resist exogenous disturbances. Natural capital is one of the foundations of local economic and social development. For years, the forest cover in Tengchong has been maintained above 75%, which is related to the long-term protection of natural ecosystems by national and local policies.
2. Tengchong City's forest system has a strong natural carbon sink function, with carbon sequestration of 37.5 million tons of CO2 equivalent in 2020. In contrast, the greenhouse gas emissions from Tengchong City's agricultural system are relatively small: in 2020 agriculture GHG emissions account for about 2.67% of its annual carbon sequestration; by 2050, the proportion is expected to be around 5%. Different agricultural development paths will not change the fact that Tengchong functions as a carbon sink.
3. Nitrogen and phosphorus emissions from water pollution in agricultural systems need to be taken seriously. The nitrogen consumed by the water purification function of the natural ecosystem accounts for less than 7% of the total nitrogen discharge, and the phosphorus consumed accounts for less than 25% of the total phosphorus discharge. This indicates that the water pollution caused by the agro-food system far exceeds the purification capacity of the natural ecosystem itself. Therefore, the management of manure wastewater from beef cattle breeding should be strengthened, and the leaching of fertilizers should be further reduced.
4. Comparing the different agricultural development paths, it is found that the total net value of the natural, economic, and social effects of the "positive" development path is higher than that of the "baseline" and the "negative" paths. For example, in the 2050 simulation scenario, the total net value of the "positive" pathway is 7% higher than that of the "baseline" scenario and 10% higher than that of the "negative" scenario. From a health point of view (spillover effect), the "positive" development path leads to fewer negative impacts on human health, especially in the long term.
5. Analyzing the decision-making of farmers, who are the main actors in the transformation of the agrifood system, it was found that choosing a more ecologically friendly way of farming does not entail more economic pressure than other ways of farming when only considering farming expenditures and revenues; and that in the long run, their net income can still increase by a small amount.
Director Zhang Linxiu introducing the UNEP TEEB Agri-food system assessment in the national "Green is Gold" practice innovation base Tengchong City, Yunnan Province
At the end of the sharing, Ms. Zhang Linxiu conveyed the expectation of Mr. Huang Runqiu, Minister of Ecology and Environment of China and President of COP15, on the work of TEEB in China: to further enrich the application in specific fields and scenarios, to make the socio-economic activities more biodiversity friendly. This was raised during the TEEB side event held last year in Montreal during the second phase of CBD COP15.
07 July 2023|News
During June 26-27, 2023, the "3rd Conference on Climate, Ecosystems and Livelihoods (CEL) -- Addressing the Nexus Issues on Food Security & Food System Resilience in Africa" was organized successfully and fruitfully at UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The conference was organized by UNEP-IEMP and AGRA- Sustainably Growing Africa's Food Systems, with support from UNEP, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). With an overall aim to promote the coordination and integration of the cooperation mechanisms between partners to address issues and challenges on sustainable development, especially on food security and food system resilience through nexus approach in Africa, the conference brought approximately 100 participants from 35 institutions of the Global South - governments, non-governmental organizations,academic institutions, as well as regional, international and sister UN agencies, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
At the opening session, Ms. Susan Gardner (Director of Ecosystems Division, UNEP) stressed the significance of food security and resilience in relation to the triple planetary crisis of climate,nature,andpollution, and that the collective actions are needed. She also encouraged the scientists and stakeholders from China, Africa and beyond to work together to deliver powerful science for policy and towards expediting practical solutions to addressing the SDGs. Ms. Aggie Konde (representing Ms. Agnes Kalibata, AGRA President) emphasized the urgency from testing to scaling up the actions to address the food challenges in Africa under the changing climate while also protecting ecosystems. She also expressed her appreciation that this conference was also to materialize the cooperation of AGRA-UNEP with everyone as part of the journey. Likewise, Mr. Yan Zhuang (Director of Division of International Organization Programs, CAS) encouraged everyone to join hands to overcome global issues and gave relevant examples of international cooperation under CAS, including UNEP-IEMP (jointly established between CAS and UNEP) and Sino-Africa Joint Research Center (between CAS and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya).
During the course of the conference, more than 40 presentations were made around the issues of food security in Africa. These include Africa study findings from 15 ongoing UNEP-Africa-China cooperation projects, global or UN level initiatives actions to address cross linkages and nexus issues. There were discussions on challenges, gaps and opportunities facing Africa on food security, including sustainable food production and consumption, sustainable land and natural resources management along with livelihood security, food system vulnerabilities and resilience. Importantly, key areas for cooperation were also defined, including capacity building programme for systems thinking, inter-regional and regional peer learning and collaboration (including China-Africa cooperation), empowering to farmers and bottom up approach on technology transfer, technology research cooperation and integrated land use planning and management.
At the end of the conference, Ms. Linxiu Zhang (Director of UNEP-IEMP) delivered her closing speech that the conference was a real feast of scientific knowledge exchange from all the disciplines and encouraged everyone to further enrich knowledge and expand network. UNEP-IEMP would be happy to continuously play the convening role when there is a need.
Ms. Linxiu Zhang delivering a closing speech
This CEL Africa conference is part of the continued effort of UNEP’s flagship programme on Climate, Ecosystems and Livelihoods (CEL), launched in 2016 and implementation led by UNEP-IEMP, to assist countries in the Global South to improve livelihoods through ecosystem restoration and conservation in the context of climate change. South-South Cooperation is a key feature of the CEL implementation and Africa is one of the CEL’s focal geographical areas. Expertise from China has been mobilized by UNEP-IEMP to enhance partnership on science, technology and policy related to CEL topics together with the African partners and other international experts.
Group photo of all participants
This conference was well reported by media, please see below links.
Chinese, African scientists call for climate-resilient food systems to beat hunger
https://english.news.cn/africa/20230627/dcb8054ee2da4387ab285db026fe6e9b/c.html
The 3rd Conference on Climate, Ecosystems and Livelihoods in Africa, focusing on Africa food security
https://h.xinhuaxmt.com/vh512/share/11568517?d=134b1e3&channel=weixin
16 June 2023|News
From 2 to 12 June 2023, Dr. Fu Chao and Dr. Li Li from the UNEP-IEMP Research Unite traveled to Uganda and Kenya and conducted field research and exchange activities on sustainable water resource utilization strategies in the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB). These activities were supported by an international cooperation project on "Sustainable Water Resources Utilisation and Integrated Lake Basin Management in the Great Lakes Basin of East Africa" under the National Key Research and Development Programme of China. The team presented and exchanged the project's preliminary research results and actively communicated with local researchers and managers, with the aim of formulating key strategies and policy recommendations for enhancing the multiple benefits of water resource utilization in the LVB.
The team first tripped to Entebbe and Kampala, Uganda and met with other project members to discuss water use and sustainable agricultural development in the LVB. During the trip, they visited the Uganda Aquatic Research and Development Centre (China-Uganda Friendship Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center) nearby Kampala, where they witnessed the innovative initiatives undertaken by the China-FAO-Uganda South-South cooperation project (Phase III) to enhance sustainable agricultural practices.
From Uganda, the team traveled to Nairobi, Kenya to attend a project workshop at the Sino-African Joint Research Centre (SAJOREC) located at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). The workshop brought together researchers from project participating institutions such as the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology (NIGLAS), Wuhan University, and Nanjing University, and project collaborators such as the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NAFIRRI) of Uganda, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI), JKUAT and Kenyatta University. The participants presented their research work, focusing on the themes of water resources monitoring data and watershed management techniques and policies in the East African Great Lakes region. Discussions ensued on effectively integrating scientific research with regional policies. Dr. Fu Chao presented case studies on household livelihoods and water use in the Mwanza region of Tanzania, highlighting the key role of integrated water resources management in promoting sustainable development in the region.
After the workshop, the UNEP-IEMP team alongside other project team members, continued to Kisumu, Kenya, where they visited the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) and the KMFRI Kisumu Centre. They briefed the institution representatives and researchers on the project's overall status and research priorities and to explore possible ways of aligning the research findings with their institutional mission and ongoing project activities. In addition, the project team visited local fishing communities and their fishing cooperatives to learn about the characteristics of the cage-fishery technologies they have been developing in recent years and to provide preliminary recommendations on related issues.
Through this visit, UNEP-IEMP and the entire project team deepened their understanding of water resources management challenges and opportunities in the LVB. They strengthened the links and communication channels with local institutions and researchers, laying a good foundation for further work in the region. The project team will continue contributing to resource and environmental management and prosperity in the region and beyond through collaborative research, knowledge sharing, and stakeholder engagement.
24 April 2023|News
On April 21, 2023, Ms Tatirose Vijitpan, Focal Point of the Greater Mekong Sub-region Portfolio and Climate Change Adaptation Specialist of UNEP-IEMP, participated in a virtual meeting organized by Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) and the Royal Thai Embassy in Beijing. The objective was to plan for the kick-off of the cooperation on "Transfer of Know-How and Technology from China to Thailand on Bamboo for Ecosystem Restoration and Local Livelihood Improvement". The meeting was chaired by Dr Pongpan Kaewtatip, Vice President of Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), MHESI, and participated mainly by representatives of various agencies under the MHESI.
At the meeting, the proposed cooperation was regarded as valuable and relevant to Thailand. In order to kick off this cooperation, a seminar in Thailand will be organized later this year to transfer knowledge and technology from China to Thailand on bamboo for ecological restoration and livelihood development of local people that will effectively promote international cooperation in the development and upgrading of Thailand's bamboo industry for economic development and ecological preservation.
18 April 2023|News
On April 16-17, 2023, Dr. Linxiu Zhang, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme - International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), was invited to give an opening remarksand a keynote speech at the "The Third Mountain Futures Conference". The event was organized in Kunming city of China and hosted by Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
In her opening remarks, Dr. Linxiu Zhang stated the vital role of mountains as the water towers of our continents and strongholds for biodiversity and culture. To address the crises facing mountains, she called for attaching great importance to promote nexus approaches that encourage cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder cooperation, enhance interdisciplinary research, and promote evidence-based science for policy. She reiterated the urgency of connecting policy agendas and actions on the mountain, biodiversity and climate nexus, as well as the inclusive and participatory implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by governments and all stakeholders.
Dr. Linxiu Zhang delivered an opening remark
At her keynote speech "Unlocking the Power of Women for Sustainable Mountain Development", she highlighted the significance of gender in sustainable development, and introduced the consensus and efforts on gender inclusiveness. With examples from recent case studies conducted by UNEP-IEMP, she discussed the findings and implications of the critical paths to unlocking the women’s power for sustainable development.
Dr. Linxiu Zhang made a keynote speech
24 March 2023|News
On March 17, 2023, UNEP-IEMP received Mrs. Sonja Leighton-Kone, Director of UNEP Cooperate Services Division, for her first mission to UNEP-IEMP.
Mrs. Sonja Leighton-Kone was warmly welcomed by the UNEP-IEMP team, UNEP China Office, and representatives from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the host institution. With a joint review of the work at UNEP-IEMP, Mrs. Sonja Leighton-Kone emphasized the foundational role of science in UNEP and appreciated UNEP-IEMP`s role in bridging science-based solutions for local people and policy makers. The team was encouraged to think globally and act locally for delivering better solutions, and further enhance partnerships to respond to the calls from the UNEP member states. She also highly valued the solution-oriented work at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Mr. Zhuang Yan, Director at the International Cooperation Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, expressed warm appreciation for this long-term cooperation with UNEP through the joint endeavor of UNEP-IEMP. There was also a warm discussion session for enhancing linkage between the work of UNEP-IEMP and UNEP Headquarters.
15 March 2023|News
December 2022, the short video "Living Seeds and Resilient Bio-cultures, Coexistence of Naxi communities with Nature" jointly submitted by UNEP-IEMP and the Farmers' Seed Network won the third prize of "Short Video Competition of Public Participation COP15 Biodiversity Protection " from the Publicity and Education Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. This activity is part of the warm-up publicity work for the second phase of CBD COP15.
The video shows the practical process of the seeds protection and cultivation by Naxi communities since 2013. With technical and financial support from the Participatory Action Research team of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Farmers' Seed Network (FSN), the local seed protection team conducted action researches on agro-biodiversity conservation and utilization, and collected and registered traditional varieties a well as worked with scientists on Participatory Plant Breeding. A community seed bank was set up as a public space to facilitate seed and to promote knowledge exchange among villagers.
In 2018, with the support from the FSN and the Pan Third Pole Environmental Change and Green Silk Road Construction Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Stone Village, one of the Naxi communities, has become a demonstration site for sustainable livelihood improvement and green development, and then the Wumu, Youmi and Labo Villages. These four bioculture-linked villages called a Naxi Mountain Community Network, have inherited and carried forward the traditional bio-cultures, explored the joint efforts of scientists, governing bodies, NGOs and small-scale farming communities to protect and sustainably utilize biodiversity resources, improved the sustainable development model of community-based ecological culture, and realized the harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
09 March 2023|News
On the morning of 8 March 2023, Ms. Xiufeng Wang, Deputy Mayor of Dongying City, led a delegation from Dongying Foreign Affairs Office to visit UNEP-IEMP and had a consultative meeting with Ms. Linxiu Zhang, Director of UNEP-IEMP and her team. They acknowledged the close cooperation between Dongying Municipal Government and UNEP since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in July 2020, in particular the successful organization of the World Estuarine Cities Conference for Cooperation and Development (WECC) in Dongying in November 2022, and looked forward to the regular organization of WECC with broader participation and impact in the future. They also discussed the expansion of the World Estuarine Cities Partnership, the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the organization of training on agricultural technology and green development, and the promotion of mutual visits between UNEP and Dongying. Prof. Zhigang Sun from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences was invited to attend the meeting and shared his experience and suggestions from the work at the Modern Agriculture Demonstration Zone of Dongying City.
22 December 2022|News
On 9 December 2022 local time, the "small farmers, farmer seeds systems and sustainability" side event was successfully held during the second phase of the CBD COP15 in Montreal. As the only side event touching on agro-biodiversity, it brought to the audiences’ experiences of nearly two decades of community-based farmer seed and food system initiatives on different continents and in different cultural contexts. It hopes to demonstrate the effectiveness of community-based conservation and farmer-led solutions to reverse the deterioration of genetic resources, biodiversity and ecosystem.
Dr. Linxiu Zhang, director of UNEP-IEMP, opened the event on behalf of the hosting organizations. She began with the importance of biodiversity in providing smallholder farmers with resilience to risk and ongoing adaptation to climate change, and how collective and transformative action is needed to build more resilient agri-food systems. She also stressed that the conference would be an open and inclusive platform crossing institutional and disciplinary boundaries and that exchanging practical experiences and innovative initiatives can facilitate better action for sustainable development.
Director Linxiu Zhang delivered an open remark
Dr. Yiqing Song, UNEP-IEMP researcher and founder of the Farmers' Seed Network, gave a keynote presentation emphasizing smallholder farmers as the fundamental actors in agriculture and in maintaining biodiversity and coping with climate change, especially with policy recognition and support.
In closing, the partners launch the "Joint Montreal Declaration of Supporting Small Farmers and Indigenous Communities" to promote multi-stakeholder exchange and cooperation in farmer seed systems enhancement for sustainable biodiversity and traditional knowledge conservation and utilisation for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity targets and SDGs.
22 December 2022|News
On 16 December 2022, during the CBD COP15-2, Dr. Linxiu Zhang, UNEP-IEMP Director was invited by the Global Energy Internet Development Cooperation (GEIDCO) to attend the side event on biodiversity and energy revolution.
On behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme, Director Zhang jointly launched GEIDCO's report "Biodiversity and Revolution of Energy and Electric Power". During her address, Director Zhang reaffirmed UNEP's commitment to promoting the rational use of global resources and advancing environmental sustainability with coordinated responses and systemic solutions to tackle the world's three interrelated and mutually reinforcing planetary crises - biodiversity loss, climate change and environmental pollution. She pointed out that the large-scale development and use of fossil energy since the industrial revolution have contributed significantly to the climate and biodiversity crisis. From a global perspective, energy is on the front line of advancing biodiversity conservation, addressing climate change, and combating environmental pollution. Recognizing the intertwined nature of the environmental crisis and the interconnectedness of all the Sustainable Development Goals, we must embrace linked approaches and collective and transformative action to advance the energy and power revolution and ensure prosperity for all. She also called on all parties to build on the momentum and energy of successive COPs on climate change and biodiversity this year to link policy agendas and actions on the energy, biodiversity and climate nexus, stimulate public and private funding for bioenergy and bioeconomy, and build a multi-stakeholder platform to raise awareness, knowledge and capacity.
Representatives from China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Renmin University of China, World Resources Institute, US Environmental Protection Association, UNDP, World Economic Forum and others participated in the side event.
