Yesterday marked a big special day for Chinese geoscientists who received international applause for three "productive'' decades in helping solve puzzling Earth questions and for fighting geological disasters.

The honours came from the International Geological Correlation Programme.

Jointly founded in 1972 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the International Union of Geological Science, the programme helps foster interest of geoscientists on problems associated with sustainable development to find means to eradicate poverty.

It has become the "flagship'' for international geologic studies, drawing on the wisdom of geoscientists from 150 countries and regions so far. China has participated in the programme since 1973.

Praising the Chinese geoscientists, Eduardo F. J. de Mulder, president of the International Union of Geological Sciences, said his "former pupils'' have turned into "scholars and leaders.''

Among them is Yuan Daoxian,with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Yuan has led three major karst eco-environment projects.

"The programme has enabled us to summon on the world's best geo-brains to tackle one grave challenge before China -- the restoration of eco-environment in the karst areas,which might give a permanent turn for good in the life of local poverty-stricken people,'' Yuan said.

"The harsh natural conditions of the area have posed severe challenges even for regular planting and for raising livestock.''

Once a research proposal is approved by the programme, interested geoscientists -- no matter wherever they are in the world -- can get involved.

The achievements of Yuan's teams have already allowed several restoration projects to be carried out in Southwest China, and the experiences might may be spread to other countries confronted with similar problems.

Chinese geoscientists have participated in 98 projects so far, and have scored outstanding achievements in worldwide correlations and comparative analyses of geological time and rock strata sequences.

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