The role of geography in sustainable development

China has achieved unprecedented economic growth in the past decades. This has had serious consequences on the environment and public health. The Chinese government now realizes that it is not just the quantity, but the quality of development that matters. It has begun to instigate a series of policies to tackle pollution, increase the proportion of clean energy, and redress the balance between urban and rural development—in a coordinated effort to build a harmonious society. Building a harmonious world was also the theme of the 33rd International Geographical Congress, which was held in Beijing last August. At the meeting, Bojie Fu, a member of National Science Review’s editorial board, shared a platform with geographers from Australia, China, Canada and France to discuss the challenges of urbanization, the roles of geographers in sustainable development, as well as the importance of food security, safety and diversity. Dadao Lu Economic geographer at the Institute of Geography and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Jean-Robert Pitte Historical and cultural geographer at the University of Paris-Sorbonne in Paris, France Mark Rosenberg Health geographer at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada Mark Stafford Smith Ecologist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Canberra, Australia Bojie Fu (Chair) Physical geographer at the Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing; President of Geographical Society of China