I am a trained geographer with an interdisciplinary background in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and human geography. I obtained my Ph.D. in 2017 from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), where I have continued to work as an Assistant Research Fellow. In 2019, I was exceptionally promoted to Associate Research Fellow (equivalent to Associate Professor), and in 2023, I was appointed as a University Professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

I am a spatial modeling enthusiast specializing in socio-ecological systems. My research integrates advanced methodologies—including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and machine learning—to explore uncertainties in spatial policy. I develop participatory scenario frameworks that couple a variety of spatially explicit models, including empirical and process-based models in land systems, hydrology, ecology, and economics. Through this approach, I assess how policy uncertainties impact socio-ecological systems and aim to uncover the cross-scale feedbacks and potential critical thresholds that shape system dynamics.

My work is grounded in extensive practical experience with sustainability initiatives in China, spanning national, provincial, municipal, and county levels. These efforts have involved deep engagement with decision-makers across governance tiers, providing me with a distinctive understanding of how spatial policies are transmitted across scales and how uncertainties emerge in real-world decision-making contexts.

Recently, my research is centered on coastal zones and vulnerable plateau river basins that are jointly affected by climate change and human activities. I have developed a strong interest in integrating sustainability and resilience thinking within socio-ecological system models. For instance, I have coupled the land-use change model CLUMondo with the dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS to address spatial policy conflicts across national, provincial, and local scales. These models are embedded within an iterative optimization framework designed to maximize socioeconomic development while preserving ecosystem integrity across landscapes. This approach helps reconcile governance misalignments and manage long-term sustainability trade-offs.

One of our recent applications examined how coastal development policy, land subsidence, and climate-driven sea-level rise collectively influence future flood risks along China’s coastline. We developed a suite of scenarios to the year 2100 by integrating policy-driven land system changes with projections of extreme sea-level rise. Our findings suggest that spatial development policies may have an even greater impact than sea-level rise on future flood exposure in China’s coastal zones. This work has recently been accepted for publication in Nature Climate Change.

I have led more than 30 research projects, including three funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and one selected by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). Additionally, I have been a key contributor to over 30 projects commissioned by central agencies such as the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, NDRC, Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

As first or corresponding author, I have published over 70 peer-reviewed papers in leading journals such as Nature Climate Change, Earth’s Future, Land Use Policy, and Landscape Ecology. I also hold seven authorized invention patents. I have contributed as a core expert to more than 10 national and ministerial-level think-tank reports and technical guidelines, including the Technical Guidelines for Monitoring and Early Warning of Resource and Environmental Carrying Capacity (Trial) jointly issued by 13 national ministries, and the Guidelines for the Evaluation of Resource and Environmental Carrying Capacity and Suitability for Territorial Spatial Development (Trial) by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The major function zoning framework I contributed to was officially adopted by the central government as the national spatial strategy and foundational institutional framework for territorial development and protection in China. This framework was incorporated into China’s 13th Five-Year Plan and has continued to be referenced in subsequent national development plans and high-level political speeches. Moreover, my contributions to the national system for monitoring and early warning of resource and environmental carrying capacity have become a formal component of China's institutional reform for ecological civilization, shaping how sustainability and spatial policy are governed across multiple administrative levels.

I maintain strong international collaborations with institutions such as Lund University, the Stockholm Resilience Centre, and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL). I am a recipient of the 8th Excellent Scientific Paper Award from the China Association for Science and Technology, and currently serve as a Subject Editor for Ecology and Society, the flagship journal of the Resilience Alliance.

Selected paper

[1] Wang, Y.F., Ye, Y., Nicholls, R. J., Olsson, L., van Vuuren, D., Peterson, G., He, Y., Li, M., Fan, J., Scown, M. (2025).Development policy affects coastal flood exposure in China more than sea-level rise. Nature Climate Change, 15 (10), 1071–1077. https://doi.org/ 10.1038/s41558-025-02439-2

[2] Wang, Y.F., Ye, Y., Nicholls, R. J., Olsson, L., van Vuuren, D., Peterson, G., He, Y., Li, M., Fan, J., Scown, M. (2025). Managing development choices is essential to reduce coastal flood risk in China. Nature Climate Change, 15, (10), 1033–1034. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02418-7

[3] Wang, Y.F., He, Y., Zhou,H.,  Kuiper, J., Scown, M., Carpenter-Urquhart,L., Ye, Y., Shen, S., Olsson, L.,  Peterson.G.,.Integrating multi-level sustainability and ecosystem integrity for adaptive scenario planning in China. Earths Future , 2025, https://doi.org/10.1029/2025EF006853

[4] Wang, Y.F., He, Y., Fan, J., Olsson, L., & Scown, M. W. (2024). Balancing urbanization, agricultural production and ecological integrity: A cross-scale landscape functional and structural approach in China. Land Use Policy. 141, 107156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107156

[5] Wang, Y.F., Liao, J., Ye, Y., O’Byrne, D., & Scown, M. W. (2024). Implications of policy changes for coastal landscape patterns and sustainability in Eastern China. Landscape Ecology, 39(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-024-01801-7

[6] Wang, Y.F., Fan, J.(2023). A systematic review of centenary studies on natural resources and environmental carrying capacity. Acta Geographica Sinica, 78(11): 2676-2693.

[7] Olsson, L., Cotrufo, F., Crews, T., Franklin, J., King, A., Mirzabaev, A., Scown, M., Tengberg, A., Villarino, S. and Wang, Y.F., 2023. The State of the World’s Arable Land. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 48, 451-475. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112320-113741 

[8] Wang, Y.F., Liao, J., Ye, Y., & Fan, J. (2022). Long-term human expansion and the environmental impacts on the coastal zone of China. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, 1033466. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.1033466

[9] Shen, Z., Wang, Y.F.*, Su, H., He, Y., & Li, S. (2022). A bi-directional strategy to detect land use function change using time-series Landsat imagery on Google Earth Engine: A case study of Huangshui River Basin in China. Science of Remote Sensing, 5, 100039.

[10] Wang, Y.F., Fan, J., Li, J.Y., Zhou, B.B., Wang, Q. Methodological framework for identifying sustainability intervention priority areas on coastal landscape, Science of the Total Environment.2021, 766, 142603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142603.

[11]  Wang, Y.F., Fan, J. Multi-scale analysis of the spatial structure of China’s major function zoning. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2020, 30(2): 197-211. 

[12] Fan, J., Wang, Y.F., Wang, C.S., Chen, T., Jin, F.J., Zhang, W.Z., Li, L.J., Xu, Y., Dai, E.F., Tao, A.J., Zhou, K., Li, J.Y., Tang, Q., Chen, D., Guo, R. Reshaping the sustainable geographical pattern: A major function zoning model and its applications in China. Earth’s Future, 2019, 7(1), 25-42. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF001077

[13]  Fan, J., Wang, Q., Wang, Y.F., Zhou, K., Chen, D. Assessment of coastal development policy based on simulating a sustainable land-use scenario for Liaoning Coastal Zone in China. Land Degradation & Development, 2018, 29(8): 2390-2402. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3013

[14] Fan, J., Wang, Y.F., Ouyang, Z.Y., Li, L.J., Xu, Y. , Zhang, W.Z., Wang, C.S., Xu, W.H., Li, J.Y., Li, J.H. Risk forewarning of regional development sustainability based on a natural resources and environmental carrying index in China. Earth’s Future, 2017, 5(2): 196-213. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016EF000490

[15] Wang, Y.F., Zhao, F.F., Chen, P.P. A framework of spatio-temporal fuzzy clustering for land-cover change detection using SAR time series. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 2017, 38(2): 450-466.

[16]  Cheng, L., Wang, Y.F., Zhong, L.S., Du, P.J., Li, M.C. Technical framework of feature extraction based on pixel-level SAR image time series. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 2015, 8(4): 1665-1681.  

[17] Wang, Y.F., Chen, Z.J., Cheng, L., Li, M.C., Wang, J.C. Parallel scanline algorithm for rapid rasterization of vector geographic data. Computers & Geosciences, 2013, 59:31-40.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2013.05.005