On July 15, Nanyang Normal University hosted the 6th International Forum on Watershed Ecological Security and the 2025 Academic Committee Meeting of the “111 Base”. The event was held both online and offline simultaneously, gathering nearly 100 participants including Chinese and international academicians and experts such as Gui Jianfang, Gong Huili, Robert Costanza, Li Bailian, and Nicola Fohrer, as well as on-campus faculty and student representatives. They discussed ecological security in the water source area of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project both online and on-site.

At the opening ceremony, Vice President Xie Haiquan delivered a speech and reported to the Academic Committee of the “111 Base” on the university’s achievements and future plans in supporting the ecological security strategy of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project relying on the “111 Base”. Liu Xianliang, former Deputy Director of the South-to-North Water Diversion Middle Route Project Construction Administration, affirmed the critical role of the “111 Base” in serving the national water security strategy in his speech.

During the keynote report session, Academician Robert Costanza shared a report titled Ecosystem Services and Sustainable Well-Being for Humans and Nature. Subsequently, 10 experts from institutions including National Sun Yat-sen University (Taiwan, China), Kiel University (Germany), Adam Mickiewicz University (Poland), Flinders University (Australia), and the University of Glasgow (UK) focused on cutting-edge topics such as carbon reduction and sink increase in reservoir fluctuation zones, aquatic organism stress modeling, ecological risks of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, impacts of climate warming on lakes, microplastic and virus tracking, AI-based watershed simulation, and non-point source pollution control in the middle route. They shared their latest research results, with enthusiastic exchanges taking place both online and offline.

During the meeting, the Academic Committee of the “111 Base” listened to the annual work progress and plan report delivered by Professor Li Yuying, the person in charge of the base, in both online and offline formats. Committee members including Academician Gong Huili, Professor Xu Hai, Researcher Xin Xiaokang, as well as Li Bailian and Nicola Fohrer put forward valuable suggestions on research direction consolidation, international cooperation, and talent cultivation.

This meeting explored water security in the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project from a global perspective, building consensus on “reducing pollution and carbon emissions, increasing carbon sinks and improving efficiency”. It marks that the international cooperation of NYNU’s “111 Base” has reached a new level. The university will continue to build a Chinese model for watershed governance and contribute wisdom and solutions to ensure “a continuous flow of clean water northward”.

Written by: Deng Minjie

Photos by: Hu Xinyue & Ruan Zihan

Source: NYNU News (Chinese)

https://www.nynu.edu.cn/info/1122/30216.htm