The Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (referred to as "IGSNRR, CAS") was founded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1999, by integrating the Institute of Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (formerly the Chinese Institute of Geography founded in 1940) and the Natural Resources Comprehensive Investigation Committee of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (founded in 1956).

The mission of IGSNRR is to build a strategic scientific and technological force for resource and environment research that serves, guides and supports China's regional sustainable development, focusing on solving major scientific and technological problems in the field of resources and environment that affect the overall situation of the country and constrain long-term development, and focusing on continuously improving the independent innovation ability and sustainable development ability of the institute. 

The objectives of IGSNRR is to become a comprehensive research institution that plays a leading role in the core scientific and technological research of China's land surface process, regional sustainable development, resource and environment security, ecosystem and geographic information system, an important think tank and talent pool for national and regional development, resource utilization, environmental improvement and ecological civilization construction, and an internationally famous comprehensive research institution in the field of geographic sciences and natural resources.

The scientific research system of IGSNRR consists of seven laboratories and three field stations. The seven laboratories are respectively the National Key Laboratory of the Resource and Environmental Information System, the CAS Key Laboratory of the Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, the CAS key Laboratory of the Regional Sustainable Development Analysis and Simulation, the CAS Key Laboratory of the Ecosystem Network Observation and Simulation, the CAS Key Laboratory of Land Water Cycle and Surface Process, Key Laboratory of Resource Utilization and Environmental Restoration, and CAS Key Laboratory of Modern Agricultural Engineering of the Yellow River Delta. The three field stations are Yucheng Comprehensive Experiment Station (Yucheng Station), Lhasa Ecological Research Station (Lhasa Station) and Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station (Qianyanzhou Station) respectively.  

By the end of 2023, IGSNRR has 647 tenured employees in total, including 10 academicians of the CAS or CAE (Chinese Academy of Engineering), 4 academicians of the World Academy of Sciences, 1 fellow of the Academia Europaea, 191 professors, 303 associate professors and 133 assistant professors. 

IGSNRR is one of the first batch of institutions, approved by the State Council of China, to grant doctor's and master's degrees on geography and ecology. 6 disciplines have been listed as the top 1% of ESI global rankings in 2023. At present, there are 1155 doctoral or master students, and 171 post doctoral research fellows in the institute.

IGSNRR is hosting the Geographical Society of China, China Society of Natural Resources, and the China Society on Tibetan Plateau. IGSNRR is also sponsoring 13 branches of international organizations or scientific programs, 12 academic journals and 3 popular science magazines.