In the long history of the Earth, environmental change and biological evolution has proceeded in a balanced way. However, anthropogenic influence has led to rapid climate change and extinction of species, in particular since the onset of the industrial revolution, thereby accelerating the pace of environmental deterioration and further threatening the survival of human beings. In 1997, delegates from around the world discussed climate change and set up the objectives of Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emission. Under the framework of the 2015 Paris Agreement, scientists worldwide initiated Future Earth, a transnational platform, to explore possible means toward global sustainability. Taiwan is located in an area sensitive to global change and is exposed to multiple risks of natural disasters, such as typhoons, landslides and earthquakes, providing an ideal opportunity to uncover the interactions between environment, biosphere and adaptation measures. As the causes of environmental problems are becoming more complex and their impacts span over geo-political boundaries, interdisciplinary studies and international collaboration are required to generate the knowledge basis needed to resolve the forthcoming challenges.
Established in April 2018, on the foundation of Global Change Research Center of National Taiwan University, the NTU Research Center for Future Earth (NTU RCFE) integrates outstanding scholars and research capacity from the fields of earth sciences, environmental engineering, ecological resources, and humanities and social sciences to implement four interdisciplinary and proactive research projects. The aims are to investigate the processes of environmental and ecological changes in Taiwan and its neighboring areas, resource integration and interactions of ecological changes, and the impacts on humanity, society, and economic development under different temporal and spatial contexts. The Center expects to “to elaborate local value to pursue global excellence” and to actively research and to develop adaptation technologies in order to establish a sustainable and resilient society. The Center will collaborate with Academia Sinica, National Applied Research laboratories, and National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction to provide courses and training programs, and general education, making the center a cradle to foster students and next generation scientists with literacy in sustainability. To further develop the existing international cooperation, the Center will also actively participate in international organizations such as Belmont Forum, Future Earth, Integrated Research on Disaster Risk. The ultimate aim of Center’s international partnership is to amplify our research capacity on sustainability, and to pursue a vision of a future with humanity in symbiosis with the Earth, by connecting with scientists and international organizations.