XIEG, ANSO Co-organize the International Symposium on Biodiversity Conservation & Sustainable Development in Arid Lands

24 12, 2021

The International Symposium on Biodiversity Conservation & Sustainable Development in Arid Lands was successfully held from December 16 to 17 through a combination of online and offline means. Co-organized by Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences (XIEG) and the International Alliance of Science Organizations (ANSO), the symposium was held to share and exchange the value, status, challenges and responses of biodiversity in ecologically fragile arid areas, call on all parties to cooperate closely to build a shared community for all life in arid lands and actively participate in actions of biodiversity conservation in these areas. It attracted more than 200 experts and scholars from 10 plus countries, including China, South Africa, Senegal, Mauritania, Ethiopia, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Nepal and India.

The event was attended and addressed through video link by Liu Ning, inspector of the Department of Nature and Ecology Conservation, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, LIU Jian, Director of the Science Division of the UNEP, Dr. Jamal Annagylyjova from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biodiversity Conservation (CBD), Dr. Barron Joseph Orr, chief scientist of the Science and Technology Innovation Department of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Dr. Shahbaz Khan, director of the UNESCO Office in Beijing, Dr. MA Chaode, assistant resident representative of the UNDP office in Beijing, and Prof. CAO Jinghua, Executive Director of the Secretariat of ANSO.

Prof. CAO Jinghua, executive director of the ANSO Secretariat, said that under the combined influence of climate change and human activities, biodiversity in arid areas is facing huge threats. As this symposium has built a good platform for all parties, he hopes that all sides will actively participate in and carry out biodiversity conservation in arid areas.

Prof. ZHANG Yuanming, director of XIEG, said that China is the host country of COP15 and also one of the countries that has most effectively implemented the Aichi goals, XIEG is ready to cooperate with relevant groups and organizations to jointly address the challenges and respond to the crises faced by biodiversity in arid areas and contribute to the building of a community of all life in arid lands.

At the meeting, invited expert presentations, keynote speeches and round-table panel discussions were made by more than 40 participating scholars, including Academician HONG Deyuan, academician FU Bojie and academician WEI Fuwen with CAS, research fellow MA Keping with Institute of Botany under CAS, Professor Roman Jashenko, director of Institute of Zoology of Kazakhstan, Professor Domitilla Raimondo of South African National Biodiversity Institute, and academician Hikmat Hisoriev of Institute of Botany of Tajikistan National Academy of Sciences. The participants discussed and exchanged views on the current situation, problems and challenges, response measures and strategies of biodiversity conservation in arid lands, and reached a consensus on the statement on "Conserving Biodiversity and Building a Community of All Life in Arid Lands".

The event heightened the importance of biodiversity conservation in arid lands and raised international attention to biodiversity conservation in arid areas. The outcomes of the symposium will also contribute the scientists’ wisdom and solutions to the discussion, consultation and implementation of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

Resource: Qiao Jianfang