The inaugural ceremony for the International Society of Digital Earth (ISDE), the first global collaborative research program initiated by Chinese scientists, was held in Beijing on May 21.

Digital Earth, a virtual reality planet which collects geological, geographical and space resources into one database, is expected to help economic development, environmental protection, disaster control and prevention, heritage preservation and tracking of terrorism.

Lu Yongxiang, president of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the founding president of ISDE, said at the ceremony that the new academic organization will serve as "a common homeland" for the workers of the Digital Earth across the world. With its sincere commitment, indomitable efforts and efficient work, ISDE would provide an ideal platform for the researchers in the field to build up a Digital Earth in the welfare and benefits of the human race and promote the harmonious and sustainable development of the whole world, he assured.

ISDE is an international non-governmental science body initiated by CAS with the joint support from a dozen or so countries such as China, Canada, the US, Japan, Czech Republic. Headquartered in Beijing, it aims at promoting academic exchange and cooperation under the concept of Digital Earth, playing a constructive role in sustainable development of the national economy and social progress, environmental protection, mitigation of calamities, protection of the world's cultural heritage and natural resources, anti-terrorism and maintenance of the political stability worldwide.

Lu said at the inaugural ceremony that it is the common responsibility of the whole of human society to explore and utilize resources on the Earth rationally and protect the environment.

"The coming of the era of an information and knowledge-based economy is changing, quietly but dramatically, people's way of living," Lu said. "The future of human development is closely related to digits and information in every possible sense."

"It is reasonable to believe that Digital Earth is significantly important to sustain the development of human society, improve quality of life and advance science and technology," Lu said.

"We have every reason to expect the ISDE to make its own unique contribution to development of Digital Earth," Lu said.

Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Xu Guanhua and Mario Hernandez, an official with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, jointly unveiled the nameplate of the ISDE.