Alexander von Humboldt,was a great German geobotanist,educator and naturalist who greatly influenced sci-ence and humanities for more than two hundred years.In addition to scientific contributions(such as the un-derst...Alexander von Humboldt,was a great German geobotanist,educator and naturalist who greatly influenced sci-ence and humanities for more than two hundred years.In addition to scientific contributions(such as the un-derstanding of vegetation distribution,the concepts of isotherm and pressure contours,and the initial concept of continental drift theory),he firmly believed in the concept of the interconnection of everything and the method-ological approach of a holistic perspective to development,which has significance in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals,because they include both synergy and trade-offs among these goals.China has undergone tremendous changes since its reform and opening up in 1978 and now faces severe challenges in sustainable de-velopment.The scientific methods applied by Chinese scientists in sustainability fulfil the Humboldtian holistic perspective of nature.Here I provide four successful cases and their significant implications for addressing the increasingly severe water shortage,biological conservation,and conflicts between human well-being and land.The four examples discussed in this article are enlightened to establish a strong,just,and influential government and require empirical research to implement sustainable development plans.I believe that it’s vital to encourage and supervise public participation for a successful program;for example,the participants should not be restricted to project executors,i.e.,farmers or workers,but also students and scientists.Eradicating poverty must be priori-tized,and well-being is the ultimate goal for sustainable development.This review article provides an extremely valuable reference for other developing or even developed countries to address sustainability challenges.展开更多
文摘Alexander von Humboldt,was a great German geobotanist,educator and naturalist who greatly influenced sci-ence and humanities for more than two hundred years.In addition to scientific contributions(such as the un-derstanding of vegetation distribution,the concepts of isotherm and pressure contours,and the initial concept of continental drift theory),he firmly believed in the concept of the interconnection of everything and the method-ological approach of a holistic perspective to development,which has significance in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals,because they include both synergy and trade-offs among these goals.China has undergone tremendous changes since its reform and opening up in 1978 and now faces severe challenges in sustainable de-velopment.The scientific methods applied by Chinese scientists in sustainability fulfil the Humboldtian holistic perspective of nature.Here I provide four successful cases and their significant implications for addressing the increasingly severe water shortage,biological conservation,and conflicts between human well-being and land.The four examples discussed in this article are enlightened to establish a strong,just,and influential government and require empirical research to implement sustainable development plans.I believe that it’s vital to encourage and supervise public participation for a successful program;for example,the participants should not be restricted to project executors,i.e.,farmers or workers,but also students and scientists.Eradicating poverty must be priori-tized,and well-being is the ultimate goal for sustainable development.This review article provides an extremely valuable reference for other developing or even developed countries to address sustainability challenges.
