The inaugural meeting of National Innovation Alliance for Grassland Biological Disaster Prevention and Control was held on March 22-23, 2019 in Beijing. A number of experts attended the conference: CAE Academician NAN Zhibiao from Lanzhou University; officials from the State Forestry and Grassland Administration including HAO Yujun, Director General of the Science and Technology Department, SONG Hongzhu, Director of Innovation and Development Division, SONG Zhongshan, Deputy Director General of the Grassland Management Department, and WANG Zhuoran, Director of Ecological Restoration Division; as well as ZHOU Guomin, Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Management Department of CAAS; ZHOU Xueping, Director General of Institute of Plant Protection of CAAS (IPP-CAAS); and LIN Kejian, Deputy Director General of the Grassland Research Institute of CAAS. The meeting was chaired by ZHANG Jie, Deputy Director General of IPP-CAAS.

Prof. ZHOU Xueping, chairman of the alliance delivered a speech. He pointed out that the “National Innovation Alliance for Grassland Biological Disaster Prevention and Control” was established under the approval of State Forestry and Grassland Administration and reflected the common concerns of related leadership for grassland plant protection. He hoped that all grassland scientists could work together to jointly start a new chapter for prevention and control of grassland biological disasters.

DDG SONG Zhongshan said that there is still a gap between China and developed countries in grassland science and technology development, and the grassland science and technology is facing many challenges. One of the objectives of the alliance is to unite all colleagues in the field of grassland protection, to undertake basic work in a modernized way, to develop new technologies, and to put forward suggestions for grassland plant protection in China.

DG HAO Yujun emphasized that the mission of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration is to comprehensively protect and repair ecological resources, strengthen ecological protective construction of protected areas, and to promote ecological protection in the new era based on systemic considerations. Therefore, grassland biological control is considered as a priority for grassland ecological restoration, he expected all members of the alliance to carry on the historical mission of industry development and national great rejuvenation.

During the meeting, Director SONG Hongzhu announced the approval document of the National Innovation Alliance for Grassland Biological Disaster Prevention and Control. DG HAO Yujun authorized IPP-CAAS as the leading institute of the alliance, and appointed Prof. ZHOU Xueping as the chairman of the alliance. The meeting elected the first Standing Committee, the Advisory Committee and the Academic Committee, appointed the Vice-Chairman of the Alliance, the Secretary-General of the Office, the Deputy Secretary-General and the Chairman of the Working Group of the Expert Service Group. The meeting deliberated and adopted the Statute of the National Innovation Alliance for Grassland Biological Disaster Prevention and Control, and made a thorough discussion on the Guidelines for the Development of the National Innovation Alliance for Grassland Biological Disaster Prevention and Control (2019-2020), clarifying the current tasks and future wokd plans of the Alliance.

The alliance consists of 51 units, aiming at serving national strategy,  promoting the modernization of grassland biological disaster monitoring and early warning ability and prevention technology system in China, and building a scientific and technological innovation system of deep integration of industry, science and research.

By Tu Xiongbing (txb1208@163.com)