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Chinese scientists: Model involving native macrophytes, fishes, benthons, and birds effective for lake wetlands restoration

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BEIJING, June 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from China.org.cn on innovative lake wetlands restoration.

Scientists from the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), published information related to an innovative lake wetlands restoration model involving native macrophytes, fishes, benthons, and birds that gives full play to the role of native creatures in ecological restoration and its implementation in the Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (BCAS, in Chinese), a think tank journal focused on strategic and decision-making research that is supervised and sponsored by the CAS, in 2023. The information below comes from their report.

One of the three most productive ecosystems in the world, wetlands play an important role in maintaining the balance of natural ecosystems due to their water conservation, water purification, flood and drought prevention, climate regulation, and biodiversity maintenance functions. Lake wetlands account for 16.03% of China’s total wetland area, according to its second national wetland resources survey, which was conducted from 2009 to 2013 and compiled early in 2014.

Yunnan Province’s lake wetlands are home to abundant and unique species, and several of them have been listed as internationally important wetlands. The wetlands in Yunnan cover 5,636 sq. km, accounting for 1.05% of China’s wetland area, with lake wetlands comprising 1,185 sq. km of the total, or 21.03% of Yunnan’s wetland area.

The ecological systems associated with the province’s lake wetlands have been experiencing many problems as human activities and resulting climate change have intensified, and economic and social development have led to environmental changes, and a decline in biodiversity, however. Located in Kunming, Yunnan’s capital and largest city, Dianchi – the largest inland lake on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau – has experienced a sharp decline in biodiversity, for example. The number of indigenous fish species present in the lake decreased from 26 in the 1960s to just 11 in 2001, while aquatic plant coverage declined from 90% in the 1960s to 12.6% in the 1980s and has stood at only around 1.4% since 2000, and the number of aquatic plant species detected fell from 44 in 1957 to 30 in 1977 and just 22 in 1997.

The Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment has developed a Roman numeral-based surface water grading system with six categories, with grade I representing the highest quality and water that falls in the grade-I to grade-III range being considered to be of at least “fairly good quality.” Grade I refers to water that comes directly from natural sources; grade II refers to water that is suited to centralized drinking projects and can sustain aquatic life; grade III is also suited to centralized drinking projects, can sustain some aquatic life, and can be swam in; grade IV is suited to industrial use and recreation but should not make direct contact with people; grade V is only suited to irrigation and landscaping purposes; and water that does not fall into any of these categories is not suitable for any use.

Dianchi Lake’s water quality deteriorated from the grade-I level in the 1950s to the grade-III to grade-IV range in the 1970s and was even worse than grade V in the 1990s. Eventually water management measures were implemented and the situation began to improve, which resulted in its water quality rising to the grade-V level in 2016 and the grade-IV level in 2019, where it has remained. The lake’s surface area has gradually decreased as well, falling from 510 sq. km as of the early Yuan Dynasty (1271 to 1368) to 410 sq. km by the end of it and then to 323 sq. km in 1938. Reclamation efforts began being implemented at this point, which brought the surface area to 361.8 sq. km by 1978, though it began to shrink again after the 1980s and stands at 309 sq. km at present.

The “algae-fishes-birds/humans” and “macrophytes-fishes-birds/humans” paths are two of the main ways that eutrophic elements, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, are removed from wetlands. A decline in biodiversity damages them and thus causes eutrophication. Reconstructing and restoring lake wetlands’ ecological food chains in order to rebuild the paths is thus an urgent aspect of ecological restoration.

In the past, Yunnan mainly employed three models that were designed to reduce endogenous pollution by introducing alien species. The first entailed using silver and bighead carps to control algae, which is effective in controlling algae blooms in water that is worse than the grade-V level. The second entailed planting reeds and willows in order to improve lakeside zones’ landscapes. The third entailed introducing water hyacinths, which play a positive role in reducing nitrogen and phosphorus but create a dark and anaerobic environment in the area that they cover, making it impossible for fish, shrimp, shellfish, and aquatic plants to survive.

The Kunming Institute of Zoology research team that wrote the report created the macrophytes-fishes-benthons-birds restoration model as a means of reducing phosphorus and nitrogen after studying the theory of the paths by which they are ushered out of wetlands. The model connects native flagship aquatic plants, fish, and benthic animals in order to reconstruct broken ecological chains and create a path by which phosphorus and nitrogen can be removed from the water. It has been implemented at Dianchi Lake and Yunnan’s second largest lake – an alpine lake in Dali City known as Erhai Lake – and good results have been achieved.

The researchers suggest dividing plateau lake wetlands into three categories and conducting targeted ecological restoration and management measures in accordance with local conditions in order to promote the model.

Implementing the macrophytes-fishes-benthons-birds restoration model is recommended for lake wetlands with good ecological environments where native species are well-preserved and water quality is in the grade-I to grade-III range, such as the Erhai Lake, Fuxian Lake, which is the third largest lake in Yunnan, and Lugu Lake, which is the highest lake in Yunnan, in order to engender the two main paths by which phosphorus and nitrogen are removed.

Introducing silver and bighead carps in lakes where some native creatures have disappeared and the water quality is in the grade-IV to worse-than-grade-V range, such as Dianchi, a plateau lake that connects to karst caves known as Qilu, a plateau lake that connects to Fuxian Lake by river known as Xingyun, a mesotrophic plateau lake located in western Yunnan known as Chenghai, and a lake that is known for its colorful lotus flowers and other scenery known as Yilong, is suggested so that they can consume algae present in them. The “macrophytes-fishes-benthons-birds” restoration model can be used in a supplementary manner in this case.

Reducing and removing heavy metals is the top priority for lake wetlands that have this problem, such as the Yangzonghai Lake area, which features underwater springs and is one of Yunnan’s scenic regions. The best way of doing so is by increasing the population of benthic shellfish, such as the Chinese pond mussel (Anodonta woodiana), Chinese round snails, and river clams, since shellfish adsorb heavy metals and deposit them in their shells as they grow. Lakeside zones should also be restored and native fish species that consume filamentous algae should be released as appropriate.

Chinese scientists: Model involving native macrophytes, fishes, benthons, and birds effective for lake wetlands restoration
http://en.chinagate.cn/2024-06/05/content_117235850.htm 

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chinese-scientists-model-involving-native-macrophytes-fishes-benthons-and-birds-effective-for-lake-wetlands-restoration-302166852.html

SOURCE China.org.cn

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Guidewire Congratulates 2026 Innovation Award Winners – Beazley, Definity, and RCIS

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October 29, 2026

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Winners applied AI across product development, claims, and software delivery, reducing manual work and speeding results

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CONNECTIONS CONFERENCE — Guidewire (NYSE: GWRE) congratulates the winners of its 2026 Innovation Awards: Beazley, Definity, and RCIS. The annual awards honor Guidewire customers for their innovation in addressing evolving business needs, driving better experiences for their customers and agents, and delivering better results across the insurance lifecycle. Winners were announced during Guidewire Connections, the company’s annual customer conference.

The three 2026 Innovation Award winners are:

1. Beazley

Modernization across product development, broker submissions, and billing is helping Beazley improve speed and efficiency while creating a foundation for growth.

Beazley, a leading Lloyd’s syndicate and global specialty insurer, is transforming its policy administration and billing capabilities through a modern, connected Guidewire Cloud platform, creating a consistent global foundation while retaining the flexibility required for local market variations. Working with Capgemini, a Guidewire Consulting Global Strategic partner, Beazley implemented Guidewire PolicyCenter and BillingCenter, with the European solution delivered in approximately eight months.

The program addresses significant complexity across Beazley’s global specialty business, including rationalizing more than 200 marketable products into a condensed, streamlined set of products which reduced complexity and improved speed to market. Capgemini’s AI-enabled delivery model, combined with Guidewire’s Advanced Product Designer (APD), established a repeatable Product Factory approach enabling rapid development.

The transformation also connects Beazley’s digital and broker platforms with its core underwriting operations through Guidewire Integration Gateway, using API and event-driven integration to support broker submissions, customer and account data and policy servicing. Combined with a modernized billing capability, this creates a more connected digital insurance lifecycle and supports Beazley’s evolution towards increasingly AI-enabled underwriting.

These capabilities provide Beazley with a scalable modern core that simplifies the underlying technology landscape while supporting greater automation, product agility and continued growth across global specialty markets.

For additional information, visit the Beazley website.

2. Definity

Definity launched its first production agentic AI solution to manage and triage broker First Notice of Loss (FNOL) intake, replacing manual data re-keying with structured draft claims generated directly in Guidewire for a claims adjuster to review.

Developed in collaboration with Deloitte, a Guidewire Consulting Global Premier partner, the solution leverages a network of AI agents to classify submissions, extract and reason over information, and execute workflows to generate structured draft claims directly in ClaimCenter.  It provides a governed, traceable path from AI processing to claims operations, keeping adjusters firmly in the loop while reducing manual effort and improving speed and consistency.

Beyond modernizing FNOL intake, the initiative establishes a scalable foundation for deploying reusable, governed agentic AI capabilities across Definity’s claims lifecycle, accelerating future innovation.

For additional information, visit the Definity website.

3. RCIS

RCIS Tech Transformation in Crop Insurance, one of the insurance industry’s most complex and highly regulated lines of business, is modernizing operations with Guidewire InsuranceSuite, Jutro Digital Platform, data, and AI-first innovation

As part of its Passion for the Possible™ initiative, RCIS enlisted PwC, a Guidewire Consulting Global Strategic partner, to transform its legacy environment into a modern, unified platform powered by Guidewire Cloud Platform, delivering enhanced digital experiences for agents, underwriters, adjusters and customers.

Led by its vision to evolve in technology, ease and modern customer experience, RCIS and PwC leveraged Guidewire Advanced Product Designer (APD), Digital and AI-first engineering to accelerate delivery of a highly customized crop insurance solution. The transformation includes complex legacy data migration, integrated geospatial Farm Maps, automated Risk Management Agency (RMA) regulatory reporting, and streamlined core insurance operations all while maintaining business continuity through critical seasonal agricultural cycles. RCIS is among the top providers of crop insurance in the U.S. and one of only 12 Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) of the Federal Crop Insurance Program. It is the only AIP to offer coverage in all 50 U.S. states through a national network of more than 3,700 agents.

It is anticipated the RCIS Guidewire transformation will set a new benchmark – in the agriculture industry and across the insurance industry as a whole – for modernizing complex insurance platforms, combining Guidewire Cloud innovation, deep industry expertise, and AI-first engineering to accelerate transformation and deliver measurable business value.

For additional information, visit the RCIS website.

“We congratulate this year’s Innovation Award winners and thank all participants and our consulting partners for their contributions,” said Brian Desmond, CMO, Guidewire. “These insurers applied AI to the work that runs their business and have measurable results to show for it. Agentic insurance is where the industry is heading: AI agents that execute work within the controls the insurer sets. These winners are showing how to get there, on Guidewire.”

About Guidewire

Guidewire is the platform P&C insurers trust to engage, innovate, and grow efficiently. More than 570 insurers in 44 countries, from new ventures to the largest and most complex in the world, rely on Guidewire products. With core systems leveraging data and analytics, digital, and artificial intelligence, Guidewire defines cloud platform excellence for P&C insurers.

We are proud of our unparalleled implementation record, with 1,700+ successful projects supported by the industry’s largest R&D team and consulting partner ecosystem. Our marketplace represents the largest partner community in P&C, where customers can access hundreds of applications to accelerate integration, localization, and innovation.

For more information, please visit www.guidewire.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn.

Contact:

Melissa Cobb
Director, Public Relations
Guidewire Software, Inc.
+1.650.464.1177
mcobb@guidewire.com

NOTE: For information about Guidewire’s trademarks, visit https://www.guidewire.com/legal-notices.

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SOURCE Guidewire Software

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Coremail Strengthens Digital Ecosystem Ties at WPS Indonesia Roundtable 2026

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October 29, 2026

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JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Coremail participated in the WPS Indonesia Digital Ecosystem Roundtable 2026 in Jakarta, joining technology companies, local service providers and enterprise representatives to discuss Indonesia’s digital transformation and ecosystem collaboration. The company also served as title sponsor of the evening networking reception.

As Indonesia’s digital economy evolves, businesses increasingly need solutions combining cloud infrastructure, AI, enterprise software and local services. Connecting these complementary capabilities can help providers and partners better address customer needs.

The event featured partner matching, collaborative solution discussions and executive roundtables, offering opportunities to explore technology integration, joint solutions, channel development and local service delivery.

Coremail exchanged perspectives with participants on enterprise communications, data security and digitalisation in Indonesia, exploring opportunities to address evolving business requirements with local partners.

Regan Deng, Vice President of Coremail, emphasised the importance of understanding local markets and customer needs. He noted that combining complementary strengths in technology, products, infrastructure and local services can help businesses develop solutions suited to their operational requirements.

Top, Coremail’s Thailand Project Manager, introduced the company’s product portfolio, global footprint and partnership opportunities, highlighting its enterprise email communications and security expertise.

Founded in 1999, Coremail’s portfolio includes the Coremail AI-Native Secure Email System, CACTER AI-Native Secure Email Gateway, Email Archive System, Email Delivery System and Secure Email Relay. Flexible deployment and integration capabilities help organisations address differing data security, IT infrastructure and business requirements, supporting secure and reliable enterprise communications.

Coremail has established cooperation with Indonesian cloud service provider CBN Cloud to jointly develop a cloud email service platform, combining Coremail’s email technology with local service capabilities to support Indonesian businesses.

The roundtable offered opportunities to strengthen local connections and explore further collaboration in enterprise email, email security and integrated digital solutions. Coremail will seek to deepen its Southeast Asian presence and work with local partners to address evolving customer needs through secure enterprise email, email security and AI-enabled solutions.

For more information, please visit: www.coremail.co.th

About Coremail

Coremail provides enterprise email and collaboration solutions, with over 27 years of innovation in secure communication technologies. It serves over 20,000 enterprise customers and supports over 1 billion end users, with solutions widely adopted across government, finance, education, healthcare and energy.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/coremail-strengthens-digital-ecosystem-ties-at-wps-indonesia-roundtable-2026-302921912.html

SOURCE Coremail

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Straits Financial Services Pte Ltd Participates in First Trading Day of LME Steel HRC Shanghai Futures

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October 29, 2026

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SINGAPORE, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Straits Financial Services Pte Ltd (SFSPL), a member of Straits Financial Group, announces its participation in the first trading day of the London Metal Exchange (LME) Steel HRC Shanghai futures contract on 27 October 2026.

SFSPL’s participation reflects its continued commitment to supporting the development of commodity derivatives markets and connecting clients with exchange-traded instruments to manage price risk.

The new contract is cash-settled in US dollars against the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) Hot-Rolled Coil (HRC) steel price, as converted by Commodity Pricing and Analysis Limited (CPAL). It marks the first time an SHFE metals price has been made available for trading on another exchange.

By bringing the SHFE HRC benchmark to LME, the contract provides international market participants with more direct access to this price. It also strengthens links between China’s steel market and the global trading community, supporting the risk-management needs of producers, traders, investors, and financial institutions.

“We are thrilled to participate in the first trading day of the LME Steel HRC Shanghai futures contract. The new contract broadens the range of instruments available to international participants seeking to manage steel price exposure,” said Mr Roger Quek, CEO and Managing Director of SFSPL.

Straits Financial Services looks forward to supporting the development of this market and helping its clients access relevant risk management solutions across global commodity markets.

About Straits Financial Services Pte Ltd

At Straits Financial Services Pte Ltd, we distinguish ourselves by promoting key and innovative contracts to support the financial and commodity derivative markets as well as providing products and services to fulfill the needs of every trader.

With a strong presence in Asia and a deep understanding of the global markets, we provide value to our clients by enabling global access with a local perspective. Established in 2010, Straits Financial Services Pte Ltd is part of Straits Financial Group which is headquartered in Singapore.

Straits Financial Services Pte Ltd provides a fully integrated service for our clients to access the financial and commodity derivative markets and we strive to build lasting relationships with our clients.

For more information, please visit our website at https://www.straitsfinancial.com.

This document is issued for information purposes only. This document is not intended and should not under any circumstances be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell, nor financial advice or recommendation in relation to any capital market product. All the information contained herein is based on publicly available information and has been obtained from sources that Straits Financial Services Pte Ltd believes to be reliable and correct at the time of publishing this document.

Straits Financial Services Pte Ltd will not be liable for any loss or damage of any kind (whether direct, indirect or consequential losses or other economic loss of any kind) suffered due to any omission, error, inaccuracy, incompleteness, or otherwise, any reliance on such information. Past performance or historical record of futures contracts, derivatives contracts, and commodities is not indicative of the future performance. The information in this document is subject to change without notice.

If after reading the foregoing content you have any doubts in relation there to, please consult your own independent legal, financial and/or professional adviser.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/straits-financial-services-pte-ltd-participates-in-first-trading-day-of-lme-steel-hrc-shanghai-futures-302922017.html

SOURCE Straits Financial

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