Conference Background

Due to increasing human activities and global changes, lakes worldwide are facing numerous challenges, including sediment accumulation, altered hydrological regime, toxic substance pollution, eutrophication, declining fishery resources, loss of biodiversity, ecosystem degradation, and tense human-lake relationships. Addressing these issues requires the collective wisdom of global lake researchers.

To gather global insights on lake conservation and utilization, and to stimulate new ideas and exchange innovative practices, Jiangxi Normal University proposes the organization of the Conference on Great Lakes Research and the establishment of the Forum for Great Lakes Research. An Advisory Committee for this forum has been established, with Professor Xi Chen,Zhejiang University of Technology, serving as the the Chairman of the Advisory Committee, Professor Lin Hui as the General Secretary. The committee comprises 32 experts from around the world specializing in lake and basin research.

This forum is committed to promoting interdisciplinary integration through long-term monitoring, scientific research, technological demonstrations, and knowledge sharing. The ultimate goal is to achieve the health of lake ecosystems, sustainable economic prosperity, and harmonious human-nature relationships within lake regions, which can contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a lake and basin scale. The 2023 conference was held at Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China; the 2024 conference took place at the Caspian Sea, the world's largest lake by surface area; and the 2025 conference was hosted at Lake Victoria, the second-largest freshwater lake in the world.

2026 Conference

The 2026 conference is scheduled to be held at Lake Baikal—the deepest and oldest freshwater lake on Earth, nestled in southern Siberia, Russia. Lake Baikal reaches a maximum depth of approximately 1,642 m, making it the deepest lake globally. It contains about 20% of the world's unfrozen freshwater and is renowned for its remarkable clarity and extraordinary biodiversity. Surrounded by rugged mountains and dense forests, the lake holds profound ecological value and deep cultural and spiritual significance for local communities.

This conference will focus on the following research directions for academic presentations: hydrology and water environment, watershed water resources management, environmental dynamic monitoring, ecosystem health assessment, ecological warning platform construction, environmental pollution prevention and control, ecological restoration and reconstruction, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and utilization of lake resources, lake basin ecological economy and green development, watershed governance and comprehensive management.

Conference co-organized by:

V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research (Jiangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, China

School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, China

Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Intelligent Monitoring and Comprehensive Treatment of Watershed, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China

Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Natural Disaster Monitoring, Early Warning and Assessment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China

College of Geoinformatics, Zhejiang University of Technology, China

Zhejiang–Kazakhstan Joint Laboratory of Spatiotemporal Intelligence and Sustainable Development

Conference Time & Venue:

August 2 – August 5, 2026 | Irkutsk, Russia

Conference Theme:

Lake Eco-environmental Conservation and Sustainable Development in Great Lake Basins

Conference Schedule:

Conference language:

English

Conference Costs:

Conference Fees

The standard conference registration fee is $300 USD, which includes conference admission, materials, and coffee breaks. Participants opting for the two-day Lake Baikal field trip will incur an additional fee of $600 USD.

Payment Schedule

• Advance Deposit (50%): A deposit of $150 USD is required for conference attendance only. If you participate in both the conference and the field trip, the total deposit is $450 USD. All advance payments must be settled by July 2, 2026. Please note that advance payments will not be refunded if participants cancel their attendance due to personal reasons.

• Final Balance: The remaining balance is due upon arrival at the conference registration desk.

Bank Transfer Details

Please transfer your prepayment to the following account:

Account No.: 6222031502008652531

Bank Name: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (BOC)（中国工商银行）

Account Holder: Tao Lizhi（陶俐芝）

When making the bank transfer, kindly indicate the full name of the attendee together with the payment category in the transfer notes: write “Conference Fee” for conference registration only, or “Conference and Field Trip Fee” if you will join the field excursion.（转账备注请填写参会人姓名，并标注款项类型：会议费/野外考察费）

Accommodation:

Please note that accommodation expenses are NOT included in the registration fee and are the responsibility of the individual participant. Detailed hotel information is provided below.

Contact Persons:

Dr. Anastasiia Miadzelets, nasiya@mail.ru

Dr. Wenjing Yang, yangwenjing@jxnu.edu.cn

For any issues related to this conference, please feel free to contact us.

Secretariat of the Forum for Great Lakes Research

June 30, 2026

Hotel information

1. Irkutsk City Centre Hotel

https://irkutsk-marriott.ru/rooms.html

2.Ibis Hotel

https://ibisirkutsk.ru/

3. Irkutsk Hotel

https://irkutsk-hotel.ru/rooms/

4. Angara Hotel

https://angarahotel.ru/

V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

The Sochava Institute of Geography SB RAS is a leading geographical research institution in Eastern Russia, established in Irkutsk in 1957. Its core mission is to conduct fundamental research and develop geographical frameworks for the sustainable development of Siberian territories. The Institute is renowned for several prominent scientific schools, including the school of physical geography based on Sochava's theory of geosystems, and schools of systems cartography, population geography, and landscape hydrology.

The Institute's structure currently comprises eight laboratories. These cover key areas such as physical geography, biogeography, geomorphology, geochemistry, economic and social geography, and cartography with remote sensing methods. The Institute conducts extensive scientific research on Lake Baikal, including ecological zoning of the Baikal Natural Territory, landscape mapping, and assessment of anthropogenic impacts on the lake's ecosystems. It also carries out applied work on the environmental assessment of major investment projects in the Baikal region.

Currently, the Institute's staff consists of about 200 researchers, with half holding doctoral or candidate degrees, and it actively trains around 20 postgraduate students annually in 10 geographical specialties. One of its impressive achievements is the comprehensive mapping of nature, economy, and population across Asian Russia and neighboring countries. Its cartographic products include the National Atlas of Mongolia, Ecological Atlas of the Irkutsk Region, Ecological Atlas of the Lake Baikal Basin and Ecological Atlas of the Baikal Region etc. Additionally, the Institute has been instrumental in adapting the methodology of landscape planning in Russia, applying it to the Baikal region and other areas of Siberia. The Institute publishes the academic journal ‘Geography and Natural Resources’ and is a co-author of the book ‘Geography of Russia’ being published in Chinese by Science Press (科学出版社).

Lake Baikal –The World’s Largest Freshwater Lake

Lake Baikal, the world's largest freshwater lake by volume and the deepest lake on Earth, is a natural marvel nestled in southern Siberia, Russia. Spanning approximately 31,722 km² in surface area and plunging to a staggering depth of 1,642 meters, it holds an estimated 20% of the planet’s unfrozen surface freshwater—more than all the North American Great Lakes combined. Surrounded by rugged mountains and dense taiga forests, Lake Baikal lies within a tectonic rift valley that has been slowly forming for over 25 million years, making it one of the oldest lakes in the world. Its crystal-clear waters are fed by more than 300 rivers and streams, with the Selenga River being the largest contributor, while its sole outlet is the Angara River, which flows northward into the Yenisei system.

The lake experiences a harsh continental climate, with long, frigid winters during which its surface freezes solid for up to five months, and short, mild summers that bring brief but vibrant bursts of biological activity. Despite its northern latitude, Lake Baikal hosts an extraordinary level of biodiversity: over 80% of its 2,500+ plant and animal species are endemic, including the iconic Baikal seal—the only freshwater seal in the world—and numerous unique amphipods and fish such as the omul. The lake’s shoreline stretches over 2,100 kilometers and is dotted with scenic bays, thermal springs, and scattered islands, the largest of which is Olkhon Island, a sacred site in Buryat culture and a growing destination for eco-tourism.

First documented by Russian explorers in the 17th century—though long known to indigenous Buryat and Evenk peoples—Lake Baikal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 in recognition of its exceptional natural value. Today, it serves not only as a vital resource for local communities who rely on it for fishing, transportation, and spiritual connection, but also as a global sentinel for studying climate change, tectonic activity, and freshwater conservation. Revered as the “Pearl of Siberia” and often called the “Galápagos of Russia”, Lake Baikal stands as both a scientific treasure and a symbol of Earth’s ancient, enduring beauty.

Lake Baikal