2026 International Conference on Natural Resources and Planning
Date: 27-29 March, 2026
Venue: The University of Hong Kong (Pok Fu Lam Road, Central and Western
District, Hong Kong SAR, China)
About the Conference
Addressing global climate change, promoting energy transition and green development, advancing the sustainable use of natural resources, and achieving harmony between humans and nature have become an international consensus. The high-quality development of green and low-carbon cities is an essential pathway to meeting people's aspirations for a better life.
The 2026 International Conference on Natural Resources and Planning will be held in March 2026 at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). The conference will be organized in conjunction with a series of academic events to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Faculty of Architecture and the 45th Anniversary of the Department of Urban Planning and Design at HKU.
This conference aims to provide an interactive platform for experts and scholars from a wide range of disciplines, including natural resource management, urban transformation and development, and architectural and cultural heritage conservation, to contribute to a shared future for humanity and strive for a harmonious and sustainable relationship between society and nature.
Important Dates
Submissions
- Abstract Submission Deadline:
31 January 2026 - Full Paper Submission (Young Scholar):
10 February 2026 - Notification of Acceptance:
28 February 2026
Registration & Conference
- Registration Deadline:
10 March 2026 - Conference Dates:
27-29 March, 2026 - Departure:
30 March, 2026
Conference Topics
| Main Field | Key Content | Session or Forums Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Resource Governance and Sustainable Future | Exploring governance models, practices, and frontier challenges in energy and resource management. |
S1. Energy Transition and Critical Minerals S2. Spatiotemporal Intelligence and Digital Watershed S3. Pattern and Driving Mechanism of Land Resource Change S4. Grassland Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Utilization S5. Food System Transformation and Resource Efficiency S6. Material Cycle and Carbon Neutrality S7. Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration of Resource and Environment S8. Climate Resilience and Resource and Environmental Governance S9. Good Governance and Rule of Law of Natural Resources S10. Remote Sensing of Resources and Environment and Spatial Intelligence Technology |
| Technology Empowerment and Urban Development | Focusing on how emerging technologies drive cities to become more resilient, smarter, and of higher-quality development. |
S11. Future Urban Scenarios and Planning Transformation S12. Resilient Cities and Spatial Governance S13. Innovations in Urban and Regional Planning S14. Human Settlements and High-Quality Development S15. Urban Regeneration and Vibrant Cities |
| Architectural Heritage and Spatial Creation | Research on how to inherit cultural heritage and shape space through architectural design, cultural revitalization, and rural practices. |
S16. Architectural Character and Urban Design S17. Industrial Revitalization and Historic Districts S18. Cultural-Tourism Integration and Rural Revitalization S19. Public Art and Cultural Cities |
| Youth Scientists | Encourage young scientists to engage in original innovation to adapt to global climate change and digital transformation. | S20. Resource Sustainability and Global Youth Innovation |
Conference Committee
Academic Committee
| Role | Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Chairpersons | Mohammad Qasim JAN | Foreign Academician, CAS; Former President, Pakistan Academy of Sciences |
| Chairpersons | Anthony G.O. YEH | Academician, CAS; Chair Professor, DUPAD, HKU |
| Chairpersons | Sommad PHOLSENA | Vice Chairman, National Assembly of Lao PDR |
| Vice-Chairpersons | Michael BATTY | Foreign Academician, CAS; Chair, CASA, UCL |
| Vice-Chairpersons | Peng GONG | Vice-President, HKU; Chair Professor, Dept of Geography, HKU |
| Members | Zhiqiang Wu, Richard Church, Guochun Zhao, Jianbing Peng, Yung Ho Chang, Pietro Elisei, Lei Shen, Qiang Xu, Shenjing He, Yuanbin She, Zhizhong Li, Xiangning Li, Philip Andrews-Speed, Alexander Dunets, Daniel Beat Muller, Bin Lv, Keisuke Nansi, Saleem H. Ali, Wenzhong Zhang, Timon McPhearson, Zonghuang Huang, Tiemao Shi, Cheng Sun, Zhendong Lei, Yue Zhang, Gangyi Tan, Bo Huang, Gong Dong, Andrew T. Black, Desheng Hu, Baozhang Chen, Renyi Liu, Anrong Dang | |
Organizing Committee
| Role | Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Chairpersons | Yung Ho CHANG | Dean, Faculty of Architecture, HKU |
| Chairpersons | Lei SHEN | Executive President, iAONR; Professor, IGSNRR, CAS |
| Executive Chairperson | Shenjing HE | Head, DUPAD, Faculty of Architecture, HKU |
| Vice-Chairpersons | Kelvin S.K. WONG | Executive Associate Dean, Faculty of Architecture, HKU |
| Vice-Chairpersons | Baozhang CHEN | Professor, IGSNRR, CAS |
| Vice-Chairpersons | Bo HUANG | Deputy Director, USI, HKU |
| Vice-Chairpersons | Xiujun WANG | Executive Director, "Yuan Ye Cup" Organizing Committee |
| Vice-Chairpersons | Eunice M.F. SENG | Head and Associate Professor, Faculty of Architecture, HKU |
| Vice-Chairpersons | Bin CHEN | Assistant Director, USI, HKU |
Conference Programme
Tentative programme. Please stay tuned for updates.
March 27 (Friday)
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| Morning | Pre-conference field visits and exchange activities |
| Afternoon | Guest roundtable exchange meeting |
| Note | Participant Registration (All Day) |
March 28 (Saturday)
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| Morning | Opening Ceremony and Keynote Speeches |
| Afternoon | Parallel Sessions, Thematic Forums, and Roundtable Discussions |
March 29 (Sunday)
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| Morning | Parallel Sessions and Thematic Forums |
| Afternoon | Master Lectures and Dialogue Sessions |
| Evening | Closing Ceremony |
*Departure on March 30, 2026.
Registration & Tours
(I) Registration Fees
| Category | China Mainland & HK/Macao/Taiwan (RMB) | International Delegates (USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Member Delegates | Regular Members | 2000 | 280 |
| Directors & Standing Directors | 1600 | 220 | |
| Student Members | 1000 | 150 | |
| Non-Member Delegates | Conference Delegate | 2800 | 390 |
| Students (currently enrolled) | 1500 | 210 | |
|
Discount Terms: 1. Payment before 31 December 2025; 2. Group
registration (3+ people); 3. Excellent paper award recipients enjoy 10%
discount. The corresponding amount will be refunded within two weeks after the
winners list is announced. Notes:
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(II) Membership Application
To apply for membership of the International Association of Natural Resources (iAONR) and become a member, please visit http://membership.iaonr.org/register to apply and obtain your account. If you have any questions, please contact email: info@iaonr.org.
(III) Registration Fee Payment
1. Check Your Session Code
Select the session you wish to attend to find the corresponding Session Code (e.g., S1, S20). You must include this code in your payment remark.
2. Make Payment
International Delegates
Scan to pay via PayPal or International Banking
App.
Beneficiary: International Association of Natural Resources.
Chinese Delegates (Domestic)
Scan to pay via WeChat Pay or CloudFlash (云闪付).
- Account Name: Beijing Yuan Ye Cup Urban Design Center Co., Ltd.
- Bank: China Merchants Bank, Bei San Huan Branch
- Account Number: 110961584010001
When making payment, you MUST include the following in the transaction remarks:
ICNRP + Full Name + Email + Session Code (selected from the left dropdown, e.g., S1) Example: ICNRP Kevin John xxx.gmail.com S1
(IV) Registration & Invoice Notice
1. Individual participants register via http://www.iaonr.org/icnrp2026 or "Yuanye Awards Organizing Committee" WeChat. Groups (3+) register via website.
2. Invoices: Please request an invoice after payment by emailing info@iaonr.org and attaching your payment order number and screenshot (if not saved, please provide the name and email used in the payment remark).
3. Cancellations: Refunds must be requested via email to info@iaonr.org. Once approved, the full refund will be processed within 30 working days after the conference. No refunds for cancellations after 25 March 2026.
4. Accommodation: No unified arrangements. The committee will provide a list of nearby hotels. The hotel list provided by the committee will offer certain discounts for participants, and the check-in webpage will be sent to participants by email before the conference.
5. Completion of payment indicates successful registration. We will retain the name in your payment remark to verify participants and provide conference materials on site.
(V) On-site Visits and Technical Exchange Activities
During the conference, classic completed projects in Hong Kong will be visited. Technical exchanges will be held with Hong Kong design institutions. If you wish to participate, please pay attention to related announcements.
Call for Papers (Only for those who want to participate in the "Young Scholar Paper Award" competition)
1. The conference sincerely invites researchers, designers, and managers from around the world engaged in natural resources, ecology and environment, geographic information systems, urban and regional planning, architectural design, and related fields to register and participate.
2. Delegates who wish to present a report at the conference are required to submit an abstract aligned with the conference topics. Delegates who do not present are only required to complete the conference registration and payment.
3. The conference will hold a "Young Scholar Paper Award" competition. Requirements are as follows: Only scholars aged 45 or under are eligible to apply.
- (1) Submissions must be original, unpublished full papers (3,000-4,000 words) with an abstract (max 1,000 words). Include: objective, methods, results, and conclusion.
- (2) Submissions must include the author's name, position/title, affiliation, main research areas, contact address, postal code, phone number, and email.
- (3) An expert panel will review submissions and select First, Second, and Third Prizes, and Honorable Mentions. Certificates will be presented at the conference.
- (4) Selected high-quality papers may be recommended for publication in international academic journals.
- (5) Submit papers and abstracts online : Website: www.iaonr.org/icnrp2026-callforpapers
- (6) Abstract Submission Deadline: 31 January 2026.
- (7) Full Paper Submission Deadline(Young Scholar): 10 February 2026.
- (8) The conference will revise the ICNRP2026 proceedings. All papers with full-text submissions that pass review and meet the requirements will be included and distributed to all participants.
Call for Papers: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
This Special Issue welcomes extended and substantially revised high-quality papers originally presented at the 2026 International Conference on Natural Resources and Planning, while submissions are not limited to conference contributions and remain open to all relevant original research.
Greenness and city liveliness in the urban regeneration contexts
Submission deadline: 30 September 2026
For details, please visit: https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/330119/greenness-and-city-liveliness-in-the-urban-regeneration-contexts
Conference Exhibition
During the conference, the "Architecture Resources Future" exhibition will be organized, consisting mainly of two sections:
- 1. The University of Hong Kong Architecture and Urban Planning Achievements Exhibition: Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the HKU Faculty of Architecture and the 45th Anniversary of the Department of Urban Planning and Design.
- 2. International Outstanding Design Works Exhibition: Featuring the Yuanye Awards-winning works and the ICNRP Exemplary Award-winning works.
- 3. Institutions, organizations, and designers wishing to participate in the International Award-Winning Works Exhibition are requested to contact the Yuanye Award Urban Design Center directly.
Organizing Institutions
Organizers
Co-organizers
Hosts
International Association of Designers
Conference Venue
Contact Information
Official Website: http://www.iaonr.org/2026icnrp/
1. Yuan Ye Cup Urban Design Center
Contacts: Wei SHEN, Chong ZHANG
Phone: +86-10-88360800, 88361171, 88360497
Registration: yyb@chla.com.cn
Papers: iabp@yuanyeawards.com
Visits: office@yuanyeawards.com