Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGLAS)

What Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGLAS) does

NIGLAS (中国科学院南京地理与湖泊研究所) is a national research institution under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, founded in 1940 and headquartered in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. It is the only national comprehensive research institution in China dedicated exclusively to lake and watershed system studies, operating across limnology, watershed hydrology, water environment, lake ecology, remote sensing, geographic information systems, and regional economic planning. Its core infrastructure comprises the National Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Water Security, the Jiangsu Taihu Lake Ecosystem National Field Scientific Observation Research Station, the Poyang Lake Wetland Comprehensive Research Station, the Hulun Lake Wetland Ecosystem Positioning Observation Research Station, and the recently approved QianDao Lake CAS-level field station, supplemented by the China-Tanzania Joint Research Station for East African Great Lakes and Urban Ecology.

NIGLAS's research output is anchored by 179 first-page SCI publications and 60 patents granted in 2024, including works in Nature Geoscience, PNAS, and Water Research. The institute operates two peer-reviewed journals (Journal of Lake Science in Chinese; Water Science and Sustainable Development in English) and maintains two specialized data platforms — the Lake Science Database and the Earth System Science Data Sharing Platform. Its research products span proprietary lake remote sensing algorithms using Landsat, Sentinel, and ICESat-2 data; high-frequency water quality monitoring systems; water security assessment models; and the China Lake Ecological Environment Research Report covering five major lake regions and 13 typical lake reservoirs. Notable scientific outputs include the 18-year (2005-2022) deoxygenation reversal study across 972 rivers and 354 lake stations, and climate change–eutrophication mechanism research selected for China's Top 10 Ecological Environmental Scientific and Technological Advances for 2025.

NIGLAS operates on a non-commercial revenue model. As a government-state entity, it receives annual funding allocations from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, supplemented by competitive grants from national key R&D programs, CAS strategic priority research programs, and the National Natural Science Foundation. Commercial activities are limited to open fund grants of 40,000–100,000 RMB per project for external researchers. Its primary customer segments are national and provincial government agencies (Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, provincial water bureaus), which consume its research through formal policy consultation reports, expert advisory meetings, and participation in national and regional environmental planning processes. Secondary customers include academic researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and the general public reached through summer training programs and science popularization activities.

Name

Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGLAS)

Legal name

中国科学院南京地理与湖泊研究所

Website

https://niglas.ac.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

NIGLAS is a Chinese Academy of Sciences research institute in Nanjing dedicated exclusively to lake and watershed system studies. It operates the National Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Water Security, multiple field stations, and delivers policy consultation and scientific evidence to national and provincial government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Limnology and Environmental Research

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAHAKAB

Environmental Data Integration, ETL & Interoperability (APIs, Standards, Data Pipelines)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Environmental Data Management, Modeling & GIS/Remote Sensing

SECONDARYEUANAKAJ

NRW Data Management & Water Balance (IWA Methodology, GIS/SCADA Integration, Digital Twins)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Water & Wastewater Utilities/Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Reduction & Leak Detection

Keywords

• Lake research
• Limnology studies
• Watershed science
• Environmental monitoring
• Water resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Nanjing, Jiangsu

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: As a national research institution under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, NIGLAS operates primarily through government-funded research projects including national key R&D programs, CAS strategic priority research programs, National Natural Science Foundation projects, and provincial/municipal science and technology projects. Additional revenue derives from commissioned research for government agencies, technical consultation services, and open fund grants for external researchers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NIGLAS is a national research institution under the Chinese Academy of Sciences dedicated to comprehensive research on lake and watershed systems. It conducts fundamental and applied research in limnology, hydrology, water environment, lake ecology, remote sensing, and regional geography, operating the National Key Laboratory for Lake and Watershed Water Security and multiple national field observation stations. The institute produces scientific evidence and policy recommendations for government agencies on lake protection, water security, eutrophication control, and ecological restoration across China's major lakes.

Product overview

NIGLAS operates as a comprehensive research institute offering multiple interconnected products and services centered on lake and watershed science. The core offering is the National Key Laboratory for Lake and Watershed Water Security, which conducts fundamental and applied research on lake hydrology, environmental governance, ecological protection, and water security. Supporting infrastructure includes specialized data platforms—the Lake Science Database and Earth System Science Data Sharing Platform—providing access to environmental monitoring data. The institute operates field research stations (Taihu Lake and Poyang Lake) for long-term ecosystem observation. Additional services encompass the Laboratory Safety Management System, a Public Service Center for facility access, and two academic journals (Journal of Lake Science in Chinese and Water Science and Sustainable Development in English). The portfolio is organized around lake-watershed system research as the unifying theme, with data platforms supporting research activities and field stations providing observational data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Key Laboratory for Lake and Watershed Water Security (湖泊与流域水安全全国重点实验室) National Key Laboratory conducting fundamental and applied research on lake basin hydrological processes, lake environmental governance, ecological security, and Yangtze River basin water safety guarantee, for use by policy makers, researchers, and partner institutions.
• Lake Science Database (湖泊数据库) Specialized public database providing access to lake science data, research findings, and environmental monitoring data for major Chinese lakes, for use by researchers, government agencies, and the public.
• Earth System Science Data Sharing Platform (地球系统科学数据共享平台) Data sharing infrastructure for geospatial and environmental datasets, providing access to lake and watershed observation data, for use by researchers, government planners, and environmental analysts.
• Journal of Lake Science (湖泊科学) Peer-reviewed Chinese-language academic journal publishing research on lake science, limnology, and related environmental studies, for use by researchers, students, and policy analysts.
• Water Science and Sustainable Development (English-language journal) English-language academic journal covering water science research and sustainable development topics, for use by international researchers and policy audiences.
• Public Service Center (公共服务中 Service center providing public access to research facilities, instrument booking, and technical services for use by external researchers and partner institutions.
• Open Fund Grants for External Researchers Grant funding program (40,000-100,000 RMB per project, 2-year research period) provided by the National Key Laboratory to enable external domestic and international researchers to conduct collaborative research using laboratory facilities and platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Taihu Lake total nitrogen decreased 24%, achieving 'two guarantees' for 10 consecutive years; Chaohu Lake total nitrogen decreased 14%, water quality improved from inferior Class V to Class IV-III; Dianchi Lake total nitrogen decreased 40%, achieving water quality 'degradation removal' target
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Ningde Municipal GovernmentcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 9 May 2026NIGLAS served as the lead drafting unit for the 'Sandu Bay Bay Area Urban Development Strategic Plan' which was reviewed and unanimously approved at an expert review meeting in Ningde. The plan provides strategic guidance for modern bay area city development in Ningde.
• Hohai University School of Geography and Remote SensingflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Joint talent cultivation collaboration including the 'Shi Chengxi Elite Class' joint training program. NIGLAS and Hohai University conduct collaborative research, joint student supervision, and academic exchange. Joint field visits, academic seminars, and co-development of curriculum are part of the partnership.
• Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IHB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026NIGLAS co-constructs the Lake and Watershed Water Security National Key Laboratory with IHB and other CAS institutes. IHB researchers participate in laboratory academic conferences, joint research projects, and shared talent cultivation programs. The partnership involves four co-construction units working together on lake ecosystem, cyanobacteria bloom control, and water security research.
• Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-construction unit of the Lake and Watershed Water Security National Key Laboratory, contributing to multidisciplinary lake and watershed research alongside NIGLAS and IHB.
• Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-construction unit contributing environmental electrochemistry, water treatment technology, and digital watershed research capabilities to the National Key Laboratory.
• China Democratic League (民盟中央)coreOthers · 13 November 2025The Democratic League Central Committee's first Jiangsu Province Policy Research and Consultation Base was established at NIGLAS on November 12, 2025. This platform supports the Democratic League's participation in national governance on ecological civilization, Yangtze River economic belt development, carbon neutrality, and rural revitalization through scientific research findings.
• Tanzania Fisheries Research InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Cooperation partner in the China-Tanzania East African Great Lakes Joint Research Station project. In November 2024, the China-Tanzania Water Environment Protection and Aquatic Resources Management Joint Laboratory (Victoria Lake Center) was inaugurated in Mwanza, Tanzania. NIGLAS transferred 1,086 self-developed instruments and equipment to Tanzania and conducted international training workshops on lake and watershed ecological environment and water security.
• Various International Research Institutions (via Open Fund)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 August 2024The Lake and Watershed Water Security National Key Laboratory provides open fund grants (4-10万元 per project) to international researchers holding doctoral degrees to conduct collaborative research using laboratory facilities and platforms. The program supports 4 research directions: lake watershed hydrological processes, lake environmental processes and governance, lake ecological security and restoration, and Yangtze River basin water security.
• Science Press (科学出版社)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Academic publishing partnership for distributing NIGLAS research monographs and scientific publications. Multiple books published including 'Urban Green Infrastructure Construction Theory and Practice', 'Formation and Pre-control of Lake Episodes', and 'Yellow River Shoreline Resource and Ecological Survey Assessment'.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/nanjing-institute-of-geography-and-limnology-chinese-academy-of-sciences-niglas-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGLAS)