Invited expert and new panel member: Dr Lulu Zhang, Soil and Land-Use Management, UNU-FLORES
The objectives of the First Working Session of the Sino-EU Panel on Land and Soil (SEPLS) are to present panel members, roles and functions of the SEPLS, adopt rules of procedure, nominate chairpersons, and members of the Executive Committee and the Secretariats. Further, the work programme will be set up by identifying the main areas of activity, establishing working groups, and inviting experts and observers.
With the growing importance of interdependencies between land resources and socioeconomic systems in Europe and China, information exchange on this issue has been constantly growing between the parties over the past years. The need for coordinated joint efforts facilitated by a formal and permanent platform on the field became evident for both Chinese and European decision makers.
The SEPLS has been established on 29–30 June 2010, in Ispra, Italy with the participation of leading soil scientists and land system researchers representing the main geographical regions of China and the EU and covering a wide range of disciplines within the land resources domain. With the establishment of the Sino-EU Panel on Land and Soil the parties are able to exchange information in a formalised and well-structured manner and harmonise their information base for responses to the threats arising from the natural and socioeconomic pressures on soil and land resources.
The SEPLS is a scientific body which provides the European Commission with advice and expertise on the current state of land and soil resources and potential environmental and socioeconomic consequences of their future utilisation patterns.
SEPLS meets twice each year either in Europe or in China. UNU-FLORES Research Associate Dr Lulu Zhang has been appointed as a new member of this panel due to her relevant work over the past years that address the issues central to the interests of EU and China.
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European Commission,
Joint Research Centre
Via Enrico Fermi 2749
Ispra, Italy