Recently, the project starting meeting of 'Development of Multi-function Landscape (Carbon and Biodiversity Assets) in Mekong River Upstream' co-organized by KIB and World Agroforestry Center was successfully held in KIB. More than 30 representatives from Chiang Mai University of Thailand, Göttingen University of Germany, Asian Technology Institute, Lao Agriculture and Forest Research Institute, State Forestry Administration of Myanmar, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of CAS, Kunming Institute of Botany of CAS and World Agroforestry Center, which were all involved in the project, participated in the starting meeting.

　　It is learnt that this project aimed to develop multi-function mountain landscape, improve farmers' livelihoods and environmental protection as well as contribute to the practices of sustainable land use and government decision-making through improving biodiversity and carbon assets.

　　Prof. Yang Yongping, Deputy Director of KIB, made welcome speech at the meeting and the chief representative of World Agroforestry Center China Program Dr. Xu Jianchu presided over this meeting.  Each project partner's specific tasks and project implementation timetable were discussed during the meeting and unified views were reached on the preliminary . The successful convening of the meeting laid a good foundation for the project cooperation of KIB with other international institutions.

　　The participants also visited the National Key Science Project-The Southwest China Germplasm Bank of Wild Species.