The 2008 annual conference of China Society of Natural Resources(CSNR) was successfully held on 20^th-22^nd July, 2008 in Tianjin, China. More than 500 representatives took part in the conference, respectively coming from one hundred and twenty-six research institutes, universities and colleges, and enterprises.

The opening ceremony was co-presided by both Prof. Cheng Shengkui, deputy director of Institute of Geographic Science and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR),CAS and CSNR, and Prof. Zhou Qixing, president of College of Environment Science and Engineering, Nan Kai University.

Four famous scholars and influential government officers were particularly invited to give their plenary speeches at the opening ceremony. Prof. Liu Jiyuan, director of CSNR and ex-director of IGSNRR, made his presentation with the name of “Temporal and spatial variation and food security of land resources in China”. Prof. Chen Li, head at Development Planning Department of State Population and Family Planning Commission of China, presented a report entitled as “Strengthening strategic studies, scientifically defining functional areas of population development, and promoting harmonious development of population, resources and environment”. Mr. Cui Yucheng, deputy director of Environmental Protection Agency of Tianjin, presented his speech by “Action plan to build an ecological city of Tianjin in 2008-2010”. Finally, Prof. Zhou Qixing also made an attractive presentation by “Advances on study of contaminated soil remediation and some countermeasures in China”. The above four presentations were highly welcomed by all participants.

The conference focus on the theme of ecological civilization and resource saving, following by eleven sessions and two forums. The sessions include: 1)“Rapid urbanization and land intensely utilization”, 2)“Climate change and water resource”, 3)“Resource use and ecological security in the drought and hemi-arid areas”, 4)“Resource saving and disasters reducing under global climate change”, 5) “Regional multi-functionality, bearing capacity of ecology and environment and resource optimization allocation”, 6) “Ecological civilization and circular economy”, 7) “Land use and low carbon emission”, 8) “Environment pollution process and benchmark study”, 9) “circular economy and cleaner production”, 10) “National population, resource, environment and development”, 11) “Natural resources and environment of the world and Chinese neighboring countries”. Two forums are: President Forum of National Colleges of Natural Resources and the third congress of Doctoral Forum of Resource Sciences.

The conference not only provided an excellent platform for experts and scholars to communicate and exchange their ideas and achievements, but also improved the function of CSNR as serving society and developing resources science as well.

From China Society of Natural Resources (CSNR)