‘The EarthBioGenome Project Hong Kong: Butterflies and the Next Generation of Scientists’ is a research project coordinated by Professor Jerome Hui Ho-lam from the School of Life Sciences in the Faculty of Science at CUHK. The project has received funding of HK$7.9 million from the 2024/25 Research Impact Fund (RIF) by the Research Grants Council (RGC), and will be conducted in collaboration with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve and 7 local universities.  The project team will study the genomes of over 100 butterfly species in Hong Kong, in order to create a comprehensive knowledge base. They will also train future scientists through innovative methods that have not been used locally before, including a 3-year butterfly monitoring project with secondary schools. The project will enhance our understanding of butterfly diversity under climate change and contribute to the development of the next generation of scientists.

The Jockey Club ‘Field So Good’ Community Composting Program, led by Professor Chu Lee-man from the Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability (IEES) at CUHK, has produced a pioneering organic compost which uses local industrial food waste. This organic compost provides valuable nutrients and organic matter to the soil, which in turn promotes the growth of healthy plants, adds to the stock of beneficial microorganisms in the soil, and reduces the amount of food waste to be disposed of at the landfills in Hong Kong.

Located on the northwestern corner of Hong Kong, the Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay wetlands are recognised as a Wetland of International Importance under the prestigious Ramsar Convention. For more than three decades, Mai Po Nature Reserve has been a paradise for birds and a beautiful, irreplaceable piece of China’s wetland kaleidoscope.

The Mai Po upgrade project is funded by a HK$347.86 million grant from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The grant covers elements that make it possible for the Mai Po Community to have the facilities needed by students, teachers, and those interested in wetlands research and wetlands training. Welcoming some 24,000 students and public visitors annually, the WWF facilities are used by guided groups and other visitors. In past years, guided visitor numbers have reached a peak of 40,000 and are expected to be around 32,000 in 2023.

Sustainably managing forests, combating desertification, halting and reversing land degradation, and halting biodiversity loss are key to a sustainable future.

• Visit the UN website to learn more.