2024 Shennongjia International Congress on An Eco-Security System
for All People along the Belt and Road
Promisers | Launch Ceremony | Congress News | NESS Forum | Forum on Protected Areas | Forum on Species | Photos
The 2024 Shennongjia International Congress on An Eco-Security System for All People along the Belt and Road took place from May 27th to 29th. Fifty experts and scholars from 48 countries, along with 33 international students from 32 countries—totaling 83 participants from 71 countries—convened in Shennongjia. Additionally, 44 countries joined the event online. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Academic Committee of the Congress, species and protected area experts, organizations, young volunteers, news media, and officials from departments of Shennongjia Forest District, including the Party Committee, National People's Congress, Government, and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. A total of 318 delegates participated in the congress, focusing on shaping the "An Eco-Security System for All People along the Belt and Road." Their discussions aimed to contribute expertise towards fostering the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature and building a shared future for mankind.
Group Photo of the Congress
Feng Wei, the CPC Secretary General of Shennongjia Forestry District and the Administration of Shennongjia National Park, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. He emphasized that the congress is dedicated to diligently implementing President Xi's vision of ecological civilization, advancing the comprehensive implementation of his "Belt and Road" Initiative, sharing best practices from both domestic and international contexts, and fostering the development of a community with a shared future for all humanity. Currently, Shennongjia is expediting the establishment of an ecological civilization demonstration area, aiming to propel the region into a new era of top-tier conservation and high-quality development. The goal is to transform Shennongjia into a global exemplar of biodiversity preservation, a model for ecological civilization construction in China, and a benchmark for harmonious coexistence between humans and nature in Hubei. Feng Wei encouraged participants to leverage their strengths, engage in discussions, and share insights to collectively advance the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature and contribute their wisdom towards building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Xia Zhicheng, Deputy Director of Forestry Administration of Hubei Province; Liu Qijun, Mayor of Shennongjia Forestry District, Director General of the Administration of Shennongjia and National Park; Shennongjia Forestry District CPPCC Chairman Wang Wenhua; and leaders from Shennongjia Forestry District, including Rao Hongmei, Wang Changbin, Xiang Yi, Zhou Lichun, Wang Junxue, Tang Jun, attended the opening ceremony.
Shi Haitao, a member of the academic committee of the NESS International Science Network, Professor, and Former Vice President of Hainan Normal University, highlighted in his address that the eco-security conditions necessary for the long-term survival of people of all countries are the important cornerstone of "a community with a shared future for mankind". Everyone aspires to reside in a thriving ecological setting and advocates once more for the establishment of a worldwide "Eco-Security System for All People."
Roman Jashenko, Vice Chairman of Asian-Pacific Region for Man and the Biosphere Programme; Director General of the Institute of Zoology, Kazakhstan, announced the opening of the congress. Zhou Ke, Academic Committee Member of NESS International Science Network and Professor of Renmin University of China, presided over the keynote speeches.
Tian Dexin, the Founder and Chief Scientist of the NESS International Science Network and the Editor-in-Chief of the Global Development Report on "An Eco-Security System for All People" (also known as the “NESS Global Report”), delivered a keynote speech outlining the theme of "An Eco-Security System for All People." He discussed the strategy and roadmap for encouraging nations worldwide to establish their own academic communities focused on National Eco-Security Systems (NESS). This initiative aims to build NESS for the future of their children and all people, and globally joint construction of "An Eco-Security System for All People". Additionally, Tian Dexin provided insights into the NESS Global Report and the "NESS Index" for various countries.
Liu Qijun, the Mayor of Shennongjia Forestry District and Director-General of the Administration of Shennongjia National Park, presented on the topic of "Beautiful Shennongjia·China's Model·International Paradigm." He emphasized that by integrating strategic positioning and practical initiatives in Shennongjia, the region aims to establish a Chinese model for ecological civilization construction and be a global benchmark for biodiversity conservation. Shennongjia will actively study and implement ecological civilization principles, mobilize societal resources to advance ecological civilization construction, and expedite the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature as part of China's modernization efforts.
Ouyang Zhiyun, a Foreign Academician of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Director of the CAS Research Center for Eco-Environment Sciences, and Director of the National Park Institute at the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China (NFGA), provided a detailed analysis on the topic of "Characteristics of China's Biodiversity and the Construction of Protected Areas System." He highlighted that China has made significant strides in biodiversity conservation in recent years, with the government demonstrating a strong commitment to this cause. Despite these achievements, biodiversity conservation in China faces numerous challenges, such as declining ecosystem quality and varying degrees of forest and grassland degradation. Preserving biodiversity necessitates a comprehensive and collaborative effort involving society as a whole.
Komil Tojibaev, member of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan and Director of the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, described the importance of plant diversity and protected areas in Central Asia in the conservation of endangered species and mentioned their potential value in building An Eco-Security System for All People.
Ronald Kaboye, a Lecturer at the Kayonga Institute of Agriculture and Environmental Protection at Makerere University and the National Director of the Man and Nature Uganda Project, has spearheaded remarkable efforts in advancing the Uganda NESS. He has successfully built a robust scientific network for Uganda NESS and presented a progress report on its development, sharing his successful experiences in the field.
Muhammad Subhan Qureshi, President, Dairy Science Park; Professor, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agricultural University, also led the development of Pakistan NESS Science Network. He reported the progress report of Pakistan NESS and shared the successful experience with countries around the world.
At the conclusion of the opening ceremony, Mr. Tian Dexin chaired the launch ceremony of the "An Eco-Security System for All People along the Belt and Road." Experts or student representatives from 71 countries took turns coming onstage to light up their respective countries, while an additional 44 countries joined the ceremony online.
Group photo of expert and student representatives from 71 countries attending the Congress
Viatcheslav Rozhnov, Academician, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS); Director, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, RAS; Komil Tojibaev Academician of Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Director of Tashkent Institute of Botany; Xiao Wenfa Deputy Director of Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF); Director of Shennongjia National Park Institute, CAF; President of the Shennongjia National Park Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Forestry Sciences attended the meeting.
On 27-28, around the theme, the participants held academic workshops on the theme, including NESS International Theme Forum, International Youth Forum, Protected Area Forum, and Species Forum.
More than 70 ChSSG members participated in the Species Forum (group photo of some members)
During the NESS International Theme Forum, Mr. Tian Dexin prepared domino toys and working papers as gifts for experts and representatives from all countries. He provided a detailed explanation of the significance and methods for establishing the NESS academic community in each country. Experts from various nations actively shared their experiences from the past six months, asked questions, and engaged in fruitful discussions. Following the conclusion of the congress, under the guidance of Dai Guangming, Deputy Director of the Shennongjia National Park Administration, and Yang Jingyuan, President of the Shennongjia National Park Research Institute, expert representatives from all countries took part in a tree-planting activity at the "International Memorial Forest for An Eco-Security System for All People." This symbolic gesture signifies the unity of nations in taking collaborative steps to build an Eco-Security System for future generations. The congress played a significant role in showcasing the expertise and contributions of experts and students from participating countries.
Mr. Tian Dexin introduced NESS promotion methods to experts and international students from all countries attending the meeting
Group photo of the tree-planting activity of the "International Memorial Forest for An Eco-Security System for All People"
All experts from the Belt and Road Initiative countries who attended the meeting wholeheartedly endorsed the NESS concept and its operational approach. They expressed their readiness and determination to actively champion NESS-related endeavors in their respective countries upon their return. On May 30, Tian Dexin conferred the certificate of a member of the international editorial board of the NESS Global Report upon 53 experts from 50 nations, with an additional 7 international students receiving the certificate of young editorial member. The Shennongjia Congress has planted seeds across more than 150 countries, with some already beginning to take root and grow. The Shennongjia Congress is poised to be a significant milestone in the collective journey of "jointly constructing An Eco-Security System for All People along the Belt and Road Initiative."
Mr. Tian Dexin issued certificates of international editorial board members of the first volume of
the NESS Global Report to the experts and international students from the participating countries
The congress was sponsered by the Shennongjia Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Conservation Foundation; NESS International Science Network; Shennongjia National Park Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry. Organized by Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; International Alliance of Protected Areas, International Society of Zoological Sciences (IAPA/ISZS); IUCN SSC China Species Specialist Group (ChSSG); Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry; Youth Federation of Shennongjia Forestry District and Shennongjia Linhan Eco-culture Promotion Center.