Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography Establishes Three New Research Departments

The Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG), Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), established three new research departments in 2011. The Department of Geology Mineralization and Mineral Resources, the Department of Environmental Pollution and Process Control, and the Department of Central Asian Cooperation and Coordinated Development, respectively. Now, there is a total of eight research departments in XIEG, CAS.

The main research fields of Department of Geology Mineralization and Mineral Resources are: (1) Continental dynamics research; (2) Mineral resources and metallogenic prognosis; (3) Multi-information integration of mineral and geological exploration technique; and (4) Energy geological exploration. The aim of the research department is to promote the research of mineral resources and to develop the economy and society in Xinjiang.

The Department of Environmental Pollution and Process Control mainly studies the mechanisms, processes and effects of environmental pollution, and provides technical measures to control and restore environmental pollution in arid areas. The main research fields of the department are: (1) Watershed pollution and environmental risk; (2) Ecotoxicology and the impact of pollutants on human health; (3) Water pollution control technologies of inland rivers; (4) Pollution control and the clean production of energy, mining, and chemical industries; (5) Remediation of contaminated areas and food security; (6) Waste disposal and waste recycling technology.

The Department of Central Asian Cooperation and Coordinated Development aims to combine the scientific research capacity of the universities and institutes in the field of resources and environments from five Central Asian countries, Russia and Mongolia, and with research objectives focusing on water, soil, climate and biological resources in arid areas. Also, research will be conducted on regional ecological processes, climate change and the ecological response, terrestrial biogeochemical cycling, water resource utilization and management, ecosystem restoration and management, and desertification control and biodiversity conservation. Using this research, the department will build a scientific team which works towards ecological researches in arid areas of Central Asian, and provides scientific basis for the regional ecological security in Central Asia.