Established in 2001, the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture (IEDA) – 环境与可持续发展研究所 employed 188 staff members and 231 PhD candidates as of 2020. The institute focuses on research related to environmental studies and addresses emerging challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, water scarcity, and the degradation of agro-ecosystems. The following key research areas are covered:
- Agro-meteorology:
- Climate change impacts and adaptation: Researches the impacts of climate change on food security, the rational use of agro-climate resources, and the development of adaptation technologies.
- Greenhouse gas emission mitigation: Includes the inventory and projection of greenhouse gas emissions/removals, the development of mitigation technologies, carbon trading methodology, and the MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) system for domestic mitigation in the agricultural sector.
- Agricultural disaster prevention and reduction: Focuses on strategies for preventing and reducing the impacts of agricultural disasters.
- Water resource and dryland agriculture:
- Studies biological water-saving methods to improve crop water productivity, the efficient use of rainwater in dryland farming systems, water scarcity, and food security. The research also involves the monitoring and assessment of agricultural water quality in watersheds, the effects of farming systems on water quality, and water pollutant tracing technologies.
- Agro-environment engineering:
- Environmental engineering for livestock: Develops systems for high productivity in livestock, gas emission monitoring and mitigation in the livestock sector, and manure treatment and recycling.
- Environmental engineering for horticulture: Focuses on energy-saving techniques in protected horticulture and the efficient use of resources in plant factories.
- Agricultural ecology:
- Research includes agricultural clean basin initiatives, agro-environmental restoration, the ecology and bio-control of invasive alien species, new agricultural antibiotic-producing methods, and fertilizing technologies for upland red soil areas in Southern China.
- Agricultural nanotechnologies:
- This area covers the development of agrochemical delivery systems and nano-based gene manipulation techniques.
More information: https://ieda.caas.cn/en/.
