The 1st Session of the Council Meeting of the Environmental Protection and Ecological Restoration Committee (EPER) of the International Association of Natural Resources (iAONR) was held at the University of Hong Kong on March 28, 2026.The convening of this meeting marked the official establishment of the EPER Committee. The Committee aims to bring together experts, scholars, research institutions, enterprises, and international organizations in the fields of environmental protection, ecological restoration, natural resource management, and sustainable development. It is committed to building an open, collaborative, and internationally oriented academic exchange platform, promoting interdisciplinary cooperation and practical innovation, and advancing the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of natural ecosystems.
The establishment of the EPER Committee is of great significance for strengthening iAONR’s organizational structure and expanding its professional influence in the field of ecological governance. It will help facilitate global knowledge sharing, support the development and application of advanced restoration technologies, and promote international cooperation in addressing environmental challenges such as ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, climate change, and resource sustainability. Looking ahead, the EPER Committee will play an active role in contributing professional expertise and collaborative solutions to global ecological restoration and sustainable natural resource management.
The EPER council meeting was chaired by Professor Rui Liu of Yunnan University. With a compact and pragmatic agenda, the meeting laid a solid foundation for global academic exchanges and collaborative development in environmental protection and ecological restoration.
At the meeting, Professor Lei Shen, Executive President of the International Association of Natural Resources (iAONR), delivered an opening speech. He warmly congratulated the establishment of the EPER Committee, extended greetings to all experts and guests, and pointed out that global ecological and environmental governance is facing severe challenges. He noted that the founding of the EPER Committee is an important step for iAONR to respond to global governance needs and enhance professional cooperation, and also placed high expectations on its future development.
Later, Professor Mei Lei from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), briefly introduced the mission, positioning and development direction of the EPER Committee, which is committed to building a high-level international exchange platform for global environmental protection and ecological restoration.
Under the chairmanship of Professor Rui Liu, the meeting successfully elected the First Council of the EPER Committee. During the deliberation session, the attending council members carefully reviewed and voted to adopt the Administrative Measures for the EPER of iAONR. Subsequently, in accordance with the Articles of Association, the Chair, Vice Chairs, Secretary-General, Standing Council Members, and Council Members of the First Committee Council was elected and approved by secret ballot.
Chair: Professor Kaimin Shih, The University of Hong Kong
Vice Chairs: Professor Mei Lei, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), CAS; Professor Rui Liu, Yunnan University
Standing Council Members: Professor Bin Gao (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), Professor Mei Lei (IGSNRR, CAS), Professor Rui Liu (Yunnan University), Professor Kaimin Shih (HKU), Professor Stefan Krause (University of Birmingham), Professor Xiangke Wang (North China Electric Power University), Professor Xiaoyun Zhen (Kunming University of Science and Technology), Professor Yizhou Zhou (Institute of Metal Research, CAS)
SecretaryGeneral: Professor Yuanyuan Tang, Southern University of Science and Technology
After the election, the Committee held an in-depth discussion on its future development plan. All participants agreed that the EPER Committee will focus on international academic frontiers and global ecological governance needs, deepen research integration and international cooperation, and build a leading global exchange platform for environmental protection and ecological restoration.
Finally, Professor Kaimin Shih, Chair of the Meeting, delivered a closing speech. He stated that the successful convening of the EPER Inaugural Meeting and First Council marks an important achievement of the 2026 International Conference on Natural Resources and Planning, as well as a key milestone for iAONR in improving its organizational system and better serving global ecological governance. Looking ahead, the EPER Committee will continue to bring together global expertise, deepen international exchanges, and contribute to sustainable natural resource management and global sustainable development.