As the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda reaches a pivotal stage, China’s initiative—the Digital Silk Road International Science Program (DBAR)—is drawing heightened interest regarding its effectiveness and contributions to global sustainable development.
On October 24, the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Aerospace Information Research Institute announced that the 8th Digital Silk Road International Conference was recently held in Suzhou. The conference attracted around 200 experts and scholars from over 20 countries, including Pakistan, Thailand, Ghana, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, the United States, and China, as well as representatives from international organizations like the International Data Committee. The theme of the gathering was “Towards a Digital Route for Global Sustainable Development,” focusing on how the Digital Silk Road International Science Program supports sustainability on a global scale.
In his address, Guo Huadong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chair of the Digital Silk Road International Science Program, highlighted the program’s significant evolution through years of international collaboration. He emphasized its commitment to bridging the digital divide, enhancing understanding of complex issues, and driving sustainable development. He pointed out that the program serves as a vital platform for scientific cooperation among Belt and Road Initiative countries and provides digital solutions and best practices for sustainable development.
Suo Wenbin, Vice President of Nanjing University, noted that the rapid digital transformation of the global economy and the deepening of the Belt and Road Initiative have opened vast opportunities for international cooperation under the Digital Silk Road. He remarked that the implementation of the Digital Silk Road International Science Program has become a model for global collaboration, continuously promoting innovations in digital technology and invigorating the global digital economy.
Guo also delivered a keynote presentation titled “Digital Technology Promoting Sustainable Development of the Belt and Road.” He asserted that the program leverages digital technology, integrating open scientific data, big data, and artificial intelligence to further the achievement of sustainable development goals. Currently, through collaboration with 59 countries, the program provides tailored solutions to facilitate data sharing and international cooperation, boasting numerous tangible achievements. It aims to persist in establishing a digital path towards sustainable development in the future.
In her keynote address on “Strengthening International Cooperation in Digital Science for Sustainable Development,” Professor Kerry-Ann O’Carroll, former Assistant Director-General of Natural Sciences at UNESCO, emphasized that digital science offers critical tools for addressing multiple challenges related to sustainability. She stressed that substantive international partnerships are crucial for effectively utilizing these digital science tools. She advocated for enhancing youth leadership, collaborating with intergovernmental scientific programs and professional associations, and linking international agreements and multidisciplinary partnerships as best practices for high-quality digital science collaborations.
Additionally, Academician Fang Xiaomin presented on “The Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and Its Co-evolution with the Geomorphology, Climate, Ecological Environment, and Biodiversity of Belt and Road Regions,” explaining how the uplift alters Asia’s climate and biodiversity, consequently affecting the global ecological environment. He discussed the correlation between increasing aridity and ecological changes with expanding erosion and dust, as well as the formation and spread of the Tibetan Plateau and the deserts of Central Asia, which have profound impacts on global marine and terrestrial biodiversity and climate cooling.
During the conference, Massimo Menetti, former Chief Professor of Optical Remote Sensing at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, stated that the Digital Silk Road International Science Program has successfully developed over the years, significantly contributing to the digital science and sustainable development goals across Belt and Road regions.
This year’s conference featured 10 breakout sessions addressing various topics, including data sharing for sustainable development goals, agricultural monitoring, disaster resilience supported by digital technology, environmental change assessments, and sustainable water resource management.
The conference also unveiled the “SDGSAT-1 Satellite Imagery Exhibition,” showcasing remote sensing images of ten representative cities in the Yangtze River Delta, such as Suzhou, Shanghai, and Nanjing, captured by the satellite’s cutting-edge imaging sensors.
Moreover, the exhibition displayed images of the recently designated World Heritage site, the “Central Axis of Beijing,” and China’s first coastal wetland World Natural Heritage site, the “Yellow (Bo) Sea Migratory Bird Habitat.”
Launched in 2016, the Digital Silk Road International Science Program operates through the International Research Center for Sustainable Development Big Data and aims to leverage Earth data science methods and innovative technologies to facilitate the scientific services of big data within the Belt and Road Initiative. Over its eight-year span, the program has expanded its membership from 26 to 59, establishing an international network of nine scientific working groups and nine centers of excellence.
The conference was co-hosted by the Digital Silk Road International Science Program, Nanjing University, the International Research Center for Sustainable Development Big Data, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Aerospace Information Research Institute. During the event, the program also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Asian Institute of Technology to enhance regional applications of Earth big data.
Looking ahead, the Digital Silk Road International Science Program plans to establish an International Center of Excellence in Jakarta, Indonesia, and an ASEAN Regional Task Force by 2025, along with hosting the 9th Digital Silk Road International Conference in Chengdu.
