On November 3, 2019, during the 110 Anniversary of the Geographical Society of China & China Conference on Geography 2019, the 56th sub-session of "Climate Change and Civilization Evolution" co-convened by professor Dong Guanghui from Lanzhou University, Yang Xiaoyan and Hou Juzhi, professors of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS, was held at the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS.Teachers and students from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS, the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou University, Peking University, Education University of Hong Kong, Northeast Normal University and Qinghai Normal University attended the conference.

The first half of the conference was presided over by researcher Yang Xiaoyan. A total of 7 academic reports were presented, mainly focusing on the history of human activities and the reconstruction of the environmental background of human activities in the pan-third pole region. The second half was presided over by professor Dong Guanghui. There were 6 academic reports focusing on the interaction between human activities and climate and environmental changes in prehistoric and historical periods. These reports showed the latest research progress in the field of environmental archaeology and environmental change for participants, which aroused heat response. After the reports, under the chairing of academician Chen Fahu, a discussion was held on the future development and construction of the Environmental Change and Environmental Archaeology Professional Committee.

At present, academician Chen Fahu, professor An Chengbang, professor Dong Guanghui and professor Chen Jianhui are respectively the director, deputy director, secretary-general and deputy secretary-general of the Committee of Environmental Change and Environmental Archaeology of the Geographical Society of China. The organization of this sub-session was mainly completed by the environmental archaeology team of the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, which further enhanced college’s influence in the field of Environmental Archaeology and Environmental Change.