The Yangtze River links its upper and lower reaches, its left and right banks, and its main stem with its tributaries, forming a vast socio-economic system. It occupies a pivotal ecological position and boasts immense development potential. Supporting and serving the high-quality development of the Yangtze Economic Belt is both the mission of geological professionals and the responsibility of geological survey institutions. On September 26–27, a symposium on regional geological collaboration and integration to support the high-quality development of the Yangtze Economic Belt, initiated by the Jiangsu Provincial Bureau of Geology, was held in Nanjing. Attending were Academician Wang Yanxin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Academician Shao Anlin of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, as well as more than 70 representatives from the Nanjing Geological Survey Center, the Wuhan Geological Survey Center, and the Chengdu Geological Survey Center of the China Geological Survey; the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Natural Resources; Xuzhou Mining Group; and geological survey agencies from 12 provinces and municipalities along the Yangtze River—Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Qinghai. Together, they discussed major development strategies, mapped out new avenues for cooperation, and explored the future of geology, while establishing the industry’s first exchange platform dedicated to the Yangtze Economic Belt development strategy and encompassing all provincial-level geological survey institutions along the river.

　　Advance breakthroughs in mineral exploration and serve as the main force in ensuring energy and resource security.

　　“The Yangtze River Economic Belt holds a pivotal strategic position in China’s overall regional development framework; it is also a major base for mineral resource development and a critical source of strategic mineral reserves, encompassing ten key metallogenic belts and hosting more than 150 types of mineral resources. Against the backdrop of the new era, advancing a new round of strategic initiatives to achieve breakthroughs in mineral exploration within the Yangtze River Economic Belt is of paramount practical significance for safeguarding China’s energy and resource security, fostering a new development paradigm, and underpinning high‑quality economic growth,” said Shao Anlin.

　　He suggested that, through systemic innovation—such as strategy‑driven approaches and institutional and mechanism reforms, breakthroughs in key technologies and equipment, and innovations in green, zero‑carbon development frameworks—we should continuously strengthen our capacity to ensure resource security and steer China’s mining sector toward high‑quality growth. “We must keep the ‘rice bowl’ of mineral resources firmly in our own hands,” said Shao Anlin. “To this end, we should fully leverage the Yangtze Economic Belt’s unique advantages—spanning east to west, linking north to south, and connecting rivers to the sea—to better integrate domestic and international markets and make optimal use of both domestic and global resources.”

　　At the symposium, several geological exploration agencies presented their mineral exploration achievements over recent years, with particular emphasis on the results attained since the launch of the new round of the Strategic Action for Mineral Exploration Breakthroughs.

　　The Jiangxi Provincial Bureau of Geology has newly identified 31 significant strategic mineral sites and 26 large- to medium-sized deposits. Since May 2021, through a major exploration campaign targeting lithium-bearing petalite deposits in the Yichun region, the bureau has cumulatively confirmed associated lithium oxide resources exceeding 10 million tonnes, ranking first nationwide. Meanwhile, the Shicheng Chashanli fluorite exploration project has uncovered total resources of 6.08 million tonnes, setting a new record for the largest fluorite resource reserve in Jiangxi Province.

　　Since the launch of the new round of strategic initiatives for breakthroughs in mineral exploration, Guizhou has allocated approximately RMB 300 million annually. In February this year, the province introduced the “High‑Grade Ore, High‑Quality Development” strategy, comprehensively advancing precise prospecting, accurate ore allocation, refined mining, and sophisticated utilization of mineral resources. In 2024, the Guizhou Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources initiated 26 new projects and continued 15 existing ones; in 2025, it plans to add 55 projects to its portfolio, accounting for 57% of all projects entering the provincial pipeline.

　　The Hunan Provincial Geological Institute has prioritized four specialized initiatives: gold exploration along Hunan’s “Golden Belt,” lithium‑ore prospecting and evaluation, increasing reserves of non‑ferrous metals, and ensuring the stable supply of sand, gravel, and soil minerals. For antimony, tin, tungsten, and tantalum—four key mineral commodities—the institute has already surpassed its targets set under the 14th Five-Year Plan, with an estimated potential value exceeding RMB 150 billion.

　　Jointly safeguarding the Yangtze River and serving as a vital force in advancing ecological civilization.

　　The Yangtze River boasts two-fifths of China’s freshwater resources, three-fifths of its hydropower potential, abundant aquatic biodiversity, and immense shipping capacity, making it a national strategic water source and the world’s busiest inland waterway.

　　What role does geology play in the Yangtze River’s comprehensive conservation?

　　Wang Yanxin believes that, grounded in the “Life‑Centric Yangtze” philosophy, geological work for the comprehensive protection of the Yangtze River has two key entry points: health and safety. On the one hand, by strategically shaping policies, we can drive systemic transformations in production and lifestyle patterns, thereby advancing the goal of a “healthy planet, healthy humanity.” On the other hand, through shifts in development pathways, we can steer the food–energy–water (FEW) nexus toward greater resilience in ensuring food, energy, and water security. “High‑quality development of the Yangtze Economic Belt must be approached with a macro‑level perspective and strategic thinking,” Wang Yanxin stated. “The overarching effort to protect the Yangtze River should transition from ‘surgical intervention’ to ‘health management’—a shift that will undoubtedly require sustained, long‑term efforts by the geological community, yielding continuous and remarkable results in this region.”

　　Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, geoscientists have become an indispensable force in the building of ecological civilization.

　　Over the years, the Anhui Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources has firmly established a green foundation, waged a vigorous battle to safeguard clean soil and pristine waters, and comprehensively protected the beautiful ecological environment of the Yangtze River. The bureau’s project—the third phase of the wetland restoration at the Shibalianwei site under the integrated protection and restoration initiative for mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grasslands, and sand in the Chaohu Basin—was successfully selected this year as an outstanding case study within the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

　　Over a decade of dedicated effort, the Jiangsu Provincial Geological Bureau has developed a cutting-edge ecological remediation technology system for saline–alkali soils. The two demonstration sites already established have improved over 15,000 mu of land, with more than 8,000 mu meeting the “high‑yield farmland” standard. Moreover, the average yields of salt‑tolerant rice and wheat rank among the highest in the country.

　　Effectively prevent and mitigate geological disasters, and serve as a steadfast guardian of economic and social development.

　　The Yangtze River Economic Belt features diverse geomorphic units and complex geological conditions. Prominent geological hazards—including active faults, karst collapses, landslides and rockfalls, debris flows, and land subsidence—pose significant risks. Moreover, the intensity of land development in this region markedly exceeds the national average. Consequently, the assessment and monitoring of geological hazards and the ecological carrying capacity of resources and the environment are of paramount importance.

　　Upstream, the Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources has undertaken more than three-quarters of the city’s detailed geological hazard surveys, intelligent monitoring and early‑warning projects, and major hazard mitigation initiatives. It has also carried out rock‑mass degradation assessment and investigation projects in six districts and counties along eight major tributaries of the Yangtze River, conducted preliminary surveying and design work for 36 potentially hazardous rock masses threatening the safety of the main navigation channel, and implemented specialized geological hazard monitoring and early‑warning operations in the Wuxia section of Wushan County and the Qutangxia section of Fengjie County. Furthermore, it has completed major geological hazard remediation projects, including those targeting the Banbiyan and Jianchuandong rock masses in the Wuxia area.

　　In the midstream region, the Hubei Provincial Bureau of Geology has established an emergency disaster‑response and rescue force structured as “1 (Headquarters) + 18 (Detachments) + 1,000 personnel,” achieving enhanced preparedness, response, and rescue capabilities, as well as ensuring full staffing, adequate equipment, and comprehensive emergency readiness. The bureau has successfully carried out emergency rescue operations for the July 8 landslide in Wufeng County, emergency repair work on Wuhan Metro Line 12, and hazard mitigation efforts to address rockfall risks along a critical section of National Highway G348 in Zigui County.

　　Downstream, the Jiangsu Provincial Bureau of Geology has established a provincial-level geological disaster technical center and 13 city‑level centers, and jointly built three core response teams with the Jiangsu Provincial Emergency Management Department. By comprehensively applying integrated “air–space–ground” survey methods, it has formulated China’s first technical specification for fiber‑optic multi‑parameter monitoring in geological boreholes, achieving, for the first time, dual‑scale prediction and early warning at both regional and site levels. The bureau has continued to strengthen its monitoring network, developed the “Geological Disaster Smart Prevention” platform, and constructed China’s largest single‑site landslide monitoring and early‑warning field test site at Mouni Peak in Jiangsu.

　　Geologists are leveraging their wisdom and hard work to weave a robust disaster‑prevention “safety net” for the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

　　Promote scientific and technological innovation and accelerate the cultivation and development of new‑type productive forces.

　　The high-quality development of the Yangtze Economic Belt hinges on the safeguarding, enhancement, and empowerment provided by new‑type productive forces. At the conference, how to cultivate new‑type productive forces within geological survey institutions also became a topic of lively discussion among the delegates.

　　According to a representative of the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, the bureau has taken digital transformation as its key driver to continuously advance the upgrading and transformation of geological exploration. Since 2017, it has independently invested in building the Yunnan Geological Big Data Service Platform, which has reached an internationally advanced level. The platform has established a comprehensive underlying support system based on cloud computing, big data, GIS, and AI platforms, and, leveraging this infrastructure, has steadily iterated along specialized geological pathways, delivering a powerful “data + industry + expertise” synergy that continually empowers and enhances the capabilities of the geoscience sector.

　　The Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources is, on the one hand, building a think tank with significant influence in the geology and mineral resources sector. At the bureau level, it has established a Geological and Mineral Resources Expert Committee and a Geological Disaster Prevention and Control Expert Committee, taking the lead in spearheading research projects and tackling key core technologies in both the geology/mineral resources and geological disaster fields, thereby driving a shift in scientific and technological innovation from “following” to “leading.” On the other hand, the bureau is strengthening its system of distinctive, high‑level innovation platforms, focusing on its areas of strength and establishing 14 specialized research institutes that integrate industry, academia, research, and application, thus fostering the development of top‑tier science and technology innovation platforms.

　　At the meeting, 12 geological survey institutions along the Yangtze River jointly signed the “Initiative on Collaborative and Integrated Cooperation for Regional Geology in Support of High-Quality Development of the Yangtze Economic Belt,” further consolidating efforts, forging synergy, and working together to expand into international markets, promote geological culture, and establish cooperative mechanisms. This will ensure the sustained and efficient advancement of regional geological collaboration and integration, making the grand vision of high-quality development in the Yangtze Economic Belt even more vibrant and dynamic.