International Center for Desert Affairs

A Brief Introduction

The International Center for Desert Affairs was established to be the communication and education infrastructure as well as the transnational network for researchers and policymakers in the region to share information, knowledge and experiences which will help them identify measures for sustainable development at various scales from local and national to regional and international.

 

Mission

• To evaluate the exploitation of human beings in arid and semi-arid land
• To summarize the experience of success or failure during the exploitations
• To emphasize the practical issues brought by drought, desertification, diversity and modernization
• To develop fundamenta and applied research
• To experience serial activities including education, training and publication and research to meet environmental issues and interrelated culture phenomena in arid and semi-arid land
• To conform different subjects
• To spread new concepts
• To provide services for policy analysis and decision making

  Objective

• Education: to provide courses on regional sustainable development to undergraduate and graduate students
• Training: to popularize the theories and technologies of sustainable development in policymakiers, decision-makers, engineers, business people, etc...
• Publication: to popularize scientific technologies and advanced concepts of sustainable development to common people via all kinds of media
• Research: to bring together scientists from different countries to develop research on regional development, desertification protection, etc...
• Application: to provide practical research productions and technologies for regional development and decision making

  Main Research Fields

• Drought Issues
  • Harmonious development of nature and social economics in arid areas under the background of global change.
  • Response and contribution of arid areas to global change.
• Desertification Issues
  • Patterns and approaches of oasis stability, high-effect and sustainability in arid and semi-arid areas.
  • Sustainable utilization of resources in arid and semi-arid areas.
  • Research and practice on desertification protection and rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems.
• Diversity of Culture
  • Research and evaluation of social behavior and customs of human beings in arid and semi-arid areas.
• Development Issues
  • Macroscopical policy and stratagem control of sustainable development in arid and semi-arid areas.
  • Evaluation of influence of important engineering and water and land exploitation on eco-environment, as well as the sustainable strategies.

  
  Function

• Scientific research and tackle key problems in a united way
• Talent cultivation and public education
• Information communication and connective bridge
• Decision support for government
• Counseling to society

  Structure

International Center for Desert Affairs
College of Resources and Environment Science
Xinjian University
14 Shengli Road
Urumqi, Xinjian
830046
China
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