Recently, the English monograph Ethnobiology and Development in Asia: The Belt and Road Initiative, with the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) as the first author unit, was officially published by Springer, a renowned international academic publisher. The electronic version of the book went online on February 13, 2026 (https://link.springer.com/series/11551).
Against the backdrop of global challenges including climate change, biodiversity loss and profound international environmental shifts, this book is the first to examine the dynamic interactions between humans, living organisms and the ecological environment in Asian regions along the Belt and Road from an ethnobiological perspective. Drawing on 49 case studies from 12 Asian countries including China, it vividly illustrates how grassroots communities have taken proactive steps in biodiversity conservation and cultural inheritance, and explored practical paths for harmonious coexistence between humans and nature amid social changes. The book clearly states that despite unprecedented ecological, economic and social upheavals facing human society, grassroots communities have not waited passively; instead, they have continuously improved their livelihoods and actively safeguarded the biodiversity and ecological environment they depend on by virtue of local wisdom and actions.
The book is divided into two volumes. The first volume, featuring 32 case studies, depicts the enduring mutually beneficial coexistence between humans and nature across Asia's vast geographical expanse—from the steep Himalayas, vast deserts and arid grasslands to humid montane forests and dense tropical rainforests, this symbiotic relationship has persisted through the ages. The second volume, rooted in history, examining the present and looking to the future, presents 10 case studies that show how the flow of biological and cultural elements has enabled and sustained the mutually beneficial human-nature relationship across trade networks known as the Silk Road, the Belt and Road, or even unnamed routes. It emphasizes that the exchange, integration and innovation of biodiversity and cultural diversity have always been a powerful driving force for the development of human society. In addition, the volume includes 7 representative case studies that showcase how grassroots rural and urban communities strike a balance between short-term interests and long-term development, offering valuable explorations for the win-win coexistence of humans and between humans and nature.
As the first English monograph on ethnobiology authored by Chinese scholars as the lead writers, it embodies the wisdom and collaboration of 155 researchers and social practitioners from 18 countries. It stands as a significant achievement of China in advancing high-quality international cooperation in the field of ethnobiology under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and also highlights the unique value of ethnobiological knowledge in promoting biodiversity conservation and in-depth global exchanges.
The compilation and publication of the book were supported by projects of the Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, CAS, the Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS, and the Department of Science and Technology of Yunnan Province.
