The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects and The Nature Conservancy signed landmark MoU to advance Nature-based Solutions and regional collaboration

Building on a shared commitment to Nature-based Solutions, this strategic partnership will advance ecological restoration, climate resilience, and interdisciplinary collaboration across the Northern Metropolis, Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and the wider Asia-Pacific region.

HONG KONG, Sept. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects (HKILA) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) today signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Pak Nai, Hong Kong, marking a major step forward in advancing Nature-based Solutions (NbS), ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.

The agreement was signed by Dr. Yin-lun CHAN, President of HKILA, and Mr. Anthony GAO, Executive Director for Hong Kong and Regional Partnerships, TNC. The ceremony was witnessed by Hon. Julia LAU Man-kwan, JP, Legislative Councillor for the Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape Functional Constituency, and Hon. CHAN Pok-chi, MH, JP, Legislative Councillor for the Agriculture and Fisheries Functional Constituency.

This strategic partnership brings together HKILA's expertise in landscape architecture and planning with TNC's global expertise in conservation science, ecological restoration, and Nature-based Solutions to accelerate nature-positive development across Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and beyond.

Under the terms of the MoU, HKILA and TNC will collaborate across four core operational scope areas:

1. Collaborative Efforts in Ecological Restoration: Partnership and joint effort on wetland, terrestrial and marine ecological restoration projects in the Northern Metropolis, Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area by leveraging the strengths and expertise of the two organizations covering multi-disciplinary aspects to address ecological integrity, community well-being, and sustainable development.
2. Policy Advocacy and Strategies on NbS: Jointly developing NbS strategies and advisory recommendations for the HKSAR Government to integrate into key future developments, particularly within the Northern Metropolis, to enhance habitat connectivity, biodiversity, and flood resilience.
3. Leadership, Public Awareness, and Education: Driving NbS thought leadership, community engagement campaigns, educational workshops, and conferences across Hong Kong and the Asia-Pacific region, while fostering greater public understanding of how NbS, science-based conservation and sustainable landscape planning can help address the interconnected challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.
4. Cross-Border Collaborations and Partnerships: Fostering regional, cross-boundary knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary research collaborations, ecological restoration initiatives, and the development of best practices to scale NbS across the Greater Bay Area and the wider Asia-Pacific region.

Dr. Yin-lun CHAN, President of HKILA, said, "Landscape architects stand at the intersection of built environments and natural ecosystems. Partnering with The Nature Conservancy allows us to bridge science-backed conservation with scalable landscape design. This agreement reinforces our collective dedication to embedding Nature-based Solutions directly into Hong Kong's major growth engines, such as the Northern Metropolis, ensuring our urban expansion is both climate-resilient and biodiverse."

Mr. Anthony GAO, Executive Director for Hong Kong and Regional Partnerships, The Nature Conservancy, stated, "At TNC, our core mission is to protect the lands and waters on which all life depends. Addressing the intertwined challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change requires collaboration across sectors and disciplines. By bringing together TNC's science-based conservation expertise and HKILA's professional leadership in landscape architecture and planning, this partnership provides a strong foundation for advancing nature-based solutions that restore ecosystems, enhance biodiversity and strengthen community resilience. Together, we can help set new regional standards for urban ecological resilience and nature-positive development, while creating lasting benefits for both people and nature."

The MoU marks the beginning of a new chapter of collaboration between HKILA and TNC, bringing together complementary expertise in landscape architecture and conservation to support long-term environmental, social and community benefits.

About The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects (HKILA)

Established in 1988, The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects is a body incorporated by The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects Incorporation Ordinance (Cap. 1162), with the objects, among others, to promote the advancement of landscape architecture, raise the standard and maintain the integrity of the landscape architectural profession, and to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas in relation to all aspects of landscape architecture and matters in connection with the landscape architectural profession.

About The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more resilient. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 83 countries and territories (39 by direct conservation impact and 44 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. TNC has been in Asia Pacific for over 30 years with projects in Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.

For photos download, please visit: LINK

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects and The Nature Conservancy signed landmark MoU to advance Nature-based Solutions and regional collaboration

The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects and The Nature Conservancy signed landmark MoU to advance Nature-based Solutions and regional collaboration

The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects and The Nature Conservancy signed landmark MoU to advance Nature-based Solutions and regional collaboration

WENZHOU, China, Oct. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a report by China Daily:

On October 24, the World Young Scientist Summit 2026 opened in Wenzhou, Zhejiang. The event is hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government, and the World Association of Young Scientists. Nearly 800 representatives, including scientists, educators, and entrepreneurs from more than 60 countries and regions, are attending the summit.

He Junke, Vice President of CAST in charge of daily work and First Secretary of its Secretariat; Lian Yimin, Chairman and Party Group Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; Marcelo Knobel, Executive Director of The World Academy of Sciences; and Zhang Zhenfeng, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Wenzhou Municipal Committee, attended the summit and delivered remarks. Yao Gaoyuan, Vice Governor of the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government, presided over the first segment of the plenary session.

With the theme "Gathering Talents Worldwide to Create a Better Future," the summit's annual agenda is "Global Youth Action in the AI Era: Building a Sustainable Future." It aims to draw on the insights of young people around the world, deepen international sci-tech cooperation, and jointly address questions about young people, science, the world and the future.

Efim Zelmanov, Fields Medalist and Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Chen Yunji, Deputy Director of the Institute of Computing Technology, CAS, and Director of the National Key Laboratory of Processor Chips; Mary Garson, President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; and Lu Chaoyang, Member of the Standing Committee of CAST, Executive Dean of the Shanghai Institute of Advanced Study, University of Science and Technology of China, and Chairman of the Council of the World Association of Young Scientists, delivered keynote speeches respectively on education reform in the AI era, AI and processor chips, young women scientists' participation in science, and quantum computing. They explored new opportunities for scientific research, talent cultivation, and international cooperation in the AI era.

This year's summit placed greater emphasis on the growth needs of young scientists, with young talents under the age of 45 accounting for 88 percent of participants. It aimed to build a cluster of international journals, bring together young scientific talent, facilitate a batch of international collaborative projects and advance the application and commercialization of scientific and technological achievements. The summit released the Report on the Distribution and Mobility of Young Scientists in the Field of Embodied Intelligence, launched the World Young Scientist Summit Partner Journal Program and the 2026 World Young Scientist Innovation and Entrepreneurship Growth Support Program. It also published the "Young Scientist Pioneers 2035" list and announced the 2026 Sustainable Development Young Scientist Award. The awards were presented to four Chinese and foreign scientists.

Chen Tianrun, Founder of Hangzhou Moxin Technology Co., Ltd.; Yuan Yang, Assistant to the Dean of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences at Tsinghua University; and two of the 2026 Sustainable Development Young Scientist Award winners, César de la Fuente and Nicola Segata, among other Chinese and foreign young scientist representatives, spoke at the flash-talk session to share their research practices and reflections.

In addition, the conference focused on fields such as future manufacturing, quantum information, embodied intelligence, brain-computer intelligence, environmental science, deep-sea resources, and life and health, and held 12 parallel forums. It also included the "Gravitation π" Future Technology and Concept Products Exhibition and Exchange, local thematic side events, and sci-tech and humanities study visits, further building an interdisciplinary, cross-regional and cross-sector platform for youth sci-tech exchange and cooperation.

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

World Young Scientist Summit 2026 Opens in Wenzhou, Zhejiang