GIES Won WSIS PRIZES 2025 (NOMINEE, E-science)

Liu, C.

Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3974/geodp.2025.03.12.

From July 7 to 11, 2025, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 High-level Event 2025 was convened in Geneva. The Summit was co-organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and over 50 UN agencies, including UNDESA, FAO, UNEP, UNDP, ILO, IAEA, UNESCO, WFP, WTO, ITC, World Bank, WIPO, WMO, UNWTO, UNOOSA, UNHRC, UPU, UNHCR, and UNU, etc. This global high-level forum aimed to advance information and communication technology (ICT) for sustainable development. Delegates from 150+ countries, the participates include gover­nment representatives, UN officials, and industry leaders, they addressed critical challenges particularly digital divide, AI governance, emerging technology trends, and progress on UN technology-for-development priorities. Professor Liu, Chuang of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGSNRR-CAS) was invited to join the activities.

The WSIS PRIZES, an integral part of WSIS, recognize outstanding global initiatives that leverage ICT to advance the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. As one of the most presti­gious prizes in sustainable development and a globally influential honor in digital advancement, the WSIS PRIZES feature 18 categories including E-science. Each category selects 20 winning pro­jects: 1 Winner, 4 Champions, and 15 Nominees. Among 973 selected projects of the world, the ??Geographical Indications Environment & Sustainability?? (GIES) initiative led by IGSNRR-CAS was honored as a Nominee in the E-science category. This recognition demonstrates not only its contribution to science and society, but also represents high appraisal from the global community for the preliminary achievements made GIES team during the initial phase of its ??2021?C2030 Decade Action Plan??.

In September 2021, IGSNRR-CAS and the Geographical Society of China officially launched the GIES 2021?C2030 Program with collaborative initiative involving dozens of institutions. Over its first four years, the project has developed 25 exemplary cases across 13  provinces/regions of China, including: (1) Yanchi Tan Sheep dry grassland case in Huamachi Township, Ningxia, led by Dr. Zhang, Mingxin (Ningxia University); (2) Baoshan coffee Xinzhai Village case in dry-hot valley, Yunnan, led by Dr. Duan, Ruting (Baoshan University); (3) Lanjia Village rice permanent basic farmland case in Jilin, led by Dr. Fu, Jingying (IGSNRR-CAS); (4) Feng County burdock of the Ancient Yellow River Floodplain in Jiangsu, led by Dr. Yao, Fengteng (Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences); (5) Yang County black rice Caoba Village case in Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon) habitat in Shaanxi, led by Dr. Wang, Yongsheng (IGSNRR-CAS); (6) Panshi Chinese Cherry apple Baoshan Township case in low mountains and hills in Jilin, led by Dr. Chen, Shengbo (Jilin University); (7) Panshi fishing Qiantang case in reservoirs and fresh water bodies in Jilin, led by Dr. Liu, Chuang (IGSNRR-CAS); (8) Conghua Litchi Jiangpu Street case in subtropical low hills in Guangdong, initially launched by Dr. Wang, Jinnian (Guangzhou University) and subsequently led by Dr. Shi, Qian (Sun Yat-sen University); (9) Yucheng wheat-grain double cropping Yellow River irrigation farmland in Fangsi Town, Shandong Province, led by Dr. Wang, Zhenbo (IGSNRR-CAS); (10) Zezhou millet (Danchuan millet) Gaodu Township case in red clay soil in Shanxi, led by Dr. Zhang, Aiying (Shanxi Agricultural University); (11) Panshi large corylus Futai Township in low mountain and hills of Jilin, initiated by Dr. Dai, Junhu (IGSNRR-CAS) and currently led by Dr. Zhou, Yu  (IGSNRR-CAS); (12) Panshi rice Qiantang case in permanent farmland of Jilin, led by Dr. Song, Xianfang (IGSNRR-CAS); (13) Suining sweet potato subtropical hills in Qingfeng Village, Baima Town, Sichuan Province, led by Dr. Tan, Wenfang (Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences); (14)       Kolar fragrant pear in the Kongque River Oasis of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, led by Dr. Gui, Dongwei (Xinjiang Institute of Ecological Geography, CAS); (15) Feng County pear of the Ancient Yellow River Floodplain in Jiangsu, led by Dr. Zhang, Zhongqi (Jiangsu Normal University); (16) Feng County apple of the Ancient Yellow River (Dashahe) in Jiangsu, led by Dr. Tan, Minghong (IGSNRR-CAS); (17) Lipu taro-rice rotation permanent farmland in Guangxi, led by Dr. Mo, Xingguo (IGSNRR-CAS); (18) Guangfeng Majia pomelo subtropical low mountains and hills in Jiangxi, led by Dr. Zhu, Yunqiang (IGSNRR-CAS); (19) Le??an bamboo shoots subtropical mountains in Jiangxi, led by Dr. Yan, Lingyuan (IGSNRR-CAS); (20) Zhenba bacon from the northern subtropical mountains in Shaanxi, led by Dr. Liu, Rui (Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, CAS); (21) Qin County millet Shangdang Basin in Shanxi, led by Dr. Song, Wei (IGSNRR-CAS); (22) Pingshun Lu Dangshen (Codonopsis pilosula) in Shanxi, led by Dr. Zhang, Hong (Shanxi University); (23) Zhushan tea in the low-to-medium mountains of the north subtropical zone in Hubei, led by Dr. Liu, Suxia  (IGSNRR-CAS); (24) Ancient Tea Gardens of Jinuo Youle Tea in tropical mountainous regions of Yunan, led by Dr. Kang, Lei (IGSNRR-CAS); (25) Yunyang olive in subtropical low mountain and hilly area of Hubei, led by Dr. Hu, Shi (IGSNRR-CAS).

The success of each case was made possible through effective collaboration between local governments, research institutions, private sectors, academic associations, and consumer organizations. Among the 25 GIES cases, a total of 228 institutions made their contributions coordinated, including 87 government agencies (38.15%), 73 research institutes and universities (32.02%), 53 enterprises and cooperatives (23.25%), and 15 academic societies and associations (6.58%). The GIES team??s successful coordination of these cross-disciplinary, cross-industry, and cross-regional stakeholders through open science and ICT applications represents a key success factor of the initiative. Furthermore, the project??s smooth implementation was ensured by the dedicated efforts of the Geographical Society of China. Over 150 experts join the peer review team for evaluating each GIES case.

Over the past two decades, IGSNRR-CAS has significantly advanced open science initiatives. It has developed an integrated theoretical and methodological framework combining science, technology, engineering, management and culture, anchored by the Global Change Research Data Publishing & Repository and driven by innovative ICT integration. The institute has established regionally comprehensive infrastructure by the two journals, one is the Journal of Global Change Data & Discovery and the other one is the Digital Journal of Global Change Data Repository. The Global Change Research Data Publishing & Repository infrastructure was approved to be one of the world data center by the World Data System of the International Science Council in 2016. IGSNRR-CAS has twice been honored with the UN WSIS PRIZES in E-science category, first in 2018 for its Global Change Research Data Publishing & Repository and again in 2021 for the ??COVID-19 Knowledge & Data Hub?? project, completed in collaboration with the Consultative Committee on Information Technology (CCIT) of China Association for Science and Technology.

Figure 2  GIES won WSIS PRIZES 2025 ( E-science, Nominee)

Figure 3  On behalf of the GIES team, Professor Song, Xianfang, Wang, Zhenbo and Liu, Chuang received the prize