Focusing on the national “Belt and Road” initiative, the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has successively established the World Geography and Resources Research Center, the “Belt and Road” Strategic Research Center, the East Asia Sustainable Development Research Center, the China-Laos Joint Research Center and the Polar Science and Education Joint Research Center.

IGSNRR has also established the "Belt and Road" International Alliance of Scientists, the International Alliance for Poverty Reduction and Development and the International Water Security Alliance, which have become an important support of the "Belt and Road" International Scientific Organization Alliance (ANSO) of CAS. 

The institute has deeply involved in the international scientific plans such as the National Deep-time Digital Earth, the Global Dryland Ecosystem Programme, the Ecosystem Restoration and Carbon-Neutrality, The Digital Belt and Road Initiative, Sustainable Development Initiative, et.al, which are leading scientific research and international cooperation in the corresponding fields.

Up to now, the institute has signed 129 cooperation agreements with scientific research institutions in nearly 40 countries around the world. 16 node offices or branch offices of international scientific organizations are affiliated to the institute. 79 researchers have served as presidents, vice-presidents and directors of different international academic organizations.

The Renewable Resources and Environment Data System, the Global Change Science Research Data Publishing and Sharing System, and the National Ecological Science Data Repository have been certified and indexed by the American Geophysical Union (AGU).