International Cooperation

Major Step for Biodiversity Conservation

On Jun. 3, the signing ceremony for the Nemorandum on Jointly Building of EOL-China Regional Center between the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) was held in the House of Parliament of the United Kingdom. Cristian Samper, Director of the Natural History Museum of US Smithsonian Institution and Ji Liqiang, Secretary of the Biodiversity Committee of CAS and professor of the Institute of Zoology, CAS, signed the memorandum on behalf of EOL and the Biodiversity Committee, CAS respectively. According to the memorandum, the Biodiversity Committee, CAS is authorized by EOL to use technologies of EOL, get follow-up support from EOL and build the EOL-China Regional Center in accordance with the specifications of EOL. The signing of this memorandum marked formal start of the “EOL-China Regional Center” project. Representatives from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility（GBIF）, Botanic Gardens Conservation International（BGCI）, Consortium for the Barcode of Life（CBOL）and other institutions, Jim Hanken, Chairman of EOL Executive Committee and James Edwards, Executive Secretary of EOL Executive Committee attended the signing ceremony.

SCO Seminar on Science

From Jul. 4 to 5, 2009, over 30 representatives from the academies of sciences of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) met at the Science City of Novosibirsk, Russia to attend the second SCO National Research Institute Seminar. At the two-day seminar, Li Jiayang, Vice President of CAS, Arsenyev, Vice President of Russian Academy of Sciences and President of Novosibirsk Branch, Zhurynov, President of Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences, Amourov, Vice President of Kyrgyzstan Academy of Sciences and Karimov, Vice President of Tajikistan Academy of Sciences, summarized the international exchange and cooperation realized by respective national academies of sciences since the First SCO National Research Institute Seminar held in Urumqi in June 2008, analyzed the factors currently hindering the cooperation among the national research institutes of member countries and discussed the supporting mechanism for further promotion of the cooperation in the key and priority fields, form of cooperation and main measures to be taken in short term. At the end of the seminar, the leaders of national academies of sciences jointly signed the Proposal of the Second SCO National Research Institute Seminar to Governments of SCO Member Countries.

GEF/WB: More on Endangered Species

The GEF/World Bank funded project for restoring diversity of fresh water organisms in the Dianchi Lake undertaken by the Kunming Institute of Zoology, CAS was completed recently. An important mission of this project was to investigate, monitor and protect special native fish species in the Dianchi Lake Watershed. In the past several decades, along with fast social and economic development in Kunming, the situation of over-development and over-use of the Dianchi Lake has been worsening continuously. Reclaiming land from the lake, dams built across the lake, discharge of urban water in large quantity, felling of peripheral forests and introduction of foreign species have seriously threatened the survival and reproduction of special native fish species in the Dianchi Lake. Researchers of the System Evolution and Biography Research Group from the Kunming Institute of Zoology evaluated the endangered situation of 13 special native fish species and 5 mollusk species in the Dianchi Lake Watershed in 2007 according to the evaluation standards of IUCN Red List through studies of historic literature and records, on-the-spot investigation and analysis of data collected. The results of their evaluation have been incorporated in the IUCN Red List 2009.

EU 7th: New Project on Third Pole Triggered

From Jul. 3 to 4, to further advance the first subject “ground-based observation and study of radiation and turbulence flux” under the EU 7th Framework Program “research of hydrological and meteorological process at the Tibeten Plateau and Asian monsoon system through long-term observation, satellite remote sensing and numerical simulation (CEOP-AEGIS)”, researchers from China and Germany jointly carried out site selection for sensible heat flux observation at the Mount Everest area. The work will be conducted with support of the Mount Everest Station. It is the first joint observation and research of regional sensible heat flux at the Mount Everest area between Chinese and German researchers. This research will focus on observation and analysis of regional sensible heat flux distribution at the Mount Everest area with LAS instrument. They will not only directly measure and calculate the distribution of energy flux at the Mount Everest area, but will also provide “true values” observed on the ground for verifying the results of satellite remote sensing and numerical simulation.