On September 22, the Fifth World Congress of Biosphere Reserves opened in Hangzhou. It is the first time for the Congress to be held in Asia, with the widest participation among UNESCO member states. Representatives from over 150 countries and regions gathered in Hangzhou to discuss governance innovation and sustainable development of global biosphere reserves and jointly plan the strategic layout for the next decade of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme(MAB).

On September 23, the conference on Sustainable Development of Urban Wetlands was held by Hangzhou Normal University and other institutes. A multitude of global experts and representatives gathered to engage in dialogues centered around urban wetlands protection and sustainable utilization, contributing practical solutions to Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan for UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere(MBA) Programme and its World Network of Biosphere Reserves (2026-2035), injecting new vitality to global ecological protection and sustainable development.

The invited report session, co-chaired by Professor Zhang Hangjun, Vice President of HZNU, invited guests from international organizations, universities, local governments, and technology enterprises, presenting global experience on wetlands ecological restoration, functional enhancement, and cultural and tourism integration and innovative applications of artificial intelligence and big data in wetlands smart monitoring.

Invited Reports

This conference not only built a high-level international academic exchange platform, promoting the integration of global wetlands governance and technologies, but also further presented Chinese wetlands protection experience to other developing countries.

As an academic support unit of this session, HZNU has achieved a series of key results in challenges such as the construction of wetlands smart monitoring technology systems, the systematic enhancement of ecological functions, and the innovation of near-natural restoration models, providing a strong technological support platform for wetlands protection in Zhejiang Province. In future, HZNU will deepen international cooperation on ecological environment governance, contributing more wisdom and strength to the construction of a modern society with harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.