The Safe and Just Space (SJS) framework integrates ecological ceilings and social foundations to define the conditions under which human development can remain both environmentally sustainable and socially equitable. Although interest in SJS has grown rapidly, research remains fragmented across planetary boundaries, the doughnut economy, social–ecological systems governance and sustainability transitions. Consequently, a comprehensive synthesis of the conceptual evolution, research themes and future directions of SJS is still lacking. This study combines bibliometric analysis with a critical literature review to synthesize the conceptual evolution, thematic development, and major advances in SJS research, and to identify priorities for future research. The results show that SJS research began by defining ecological ceilings through the planetary boundaries and safe operating space frameworks, expanded to incorporate social foundations through the doughnut model, and subsequently evolved through concepts such as the safe and just corridor and safe and just Earth system boundaries, which emphasize transition pathways, justice principles, and human well-being. Research has evolved from identifying environmental limits to assessing coupled social–ecological systems, and more recently to translating SJS concepts into policy and place-based sustainability practice. Existing studies mainly focus on boundary quantification and localization of SJS, interaction mechanisms between ecological ceilings and social foundations, and scenario analysis for governance applications. However, several key challenges remain, including the equitable translation of global boundaries across spatial scales, limited understanding of boundary dynamics and long-term scenario simulation, unclear linkages among ecological safety, social justice, and human well-being, and inadequate representation of the dynamics of coupled human–nature system evolution. Future research should focus on developing equitable principles for translating global boundaries to regional and local scales, strengthening the identification of dynamic boundary changes and long-term sustainability pathways, clarifying the relationships between ecological safety, social justice, and human well-being, and advancing analytical frameworks for coupled human–nature systems. Collectively, these efforts will help shift SJS research from boundary identification towards understanding long-term sustainability transitions.

This perspective argues that the Digital Anthropocene, an era in which environmental change and human activity are increasingly mediated by pervasive digital infrastructures, requires a renewed articulation of geography's role. Planetary-scale datafication through satellites, sensors, platforms and algorithmic systems has created a new informational layer that interacts with physical and human processes to shape socio-environmental outcomes. Information Geography captures the integrated analysis of physical, human and informational spaces, emphasising that information does not merely describe the world but actively structures risk perception, governance, behaviour and inequality. Building on geography's long-standing integrative tradition, the paper first examines how the discipline's spatial, contextual and relational reasoning is indispensable for interpreting complex, data-rich human–environment systems. It then explores the emergence of Intelligent Geography and the fusion of sensing, simulation and artificial intelligence (AI) in geospatial science, highlighting both the opportunities and the ethical, political and epistemic risks of AI-driven approaches. A third section reviews geography's expanding contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals, demonstrating how geospatial and information-rich methods illuminate interconnections, trade-offs and place-based pathways to sustainability. Finally, the paper argues that the future of geography in the Information Age depends on sustained investment in capacity-building and literacy, including geoliteracy, spatial, data and digital literacies that enable citizens and decision-makers to interpret and critically engage with information-rich environments. We conclude that geography is uniquely positioned to guide societies through the challenges and opportunities of the Digital Anthropocene by bridging physical, human and informational domains in support of more just and sustainable futures.

Understanding regional-scale patterns of long-term climate variability is essential for identifying the drivers of past environmental change. In southern Africa, the continent is often divided into three rainfall zones—summer, winter, and aseasonal—but this framework fails to capture the finer dynamics of transitional areas where tropical, subtropical, and temperate systems converge. This study examines Holocene climate variability along the western margin of the southern African monsoon region using a new 7,300-year nitrogen isotope record from rock hyrax middens at Omanyne-4 in northern Namibia. Unlike other Namib Desert records that indicate progressive aridification through the Holocene, the Omanyne-4 sequence shows a long-term trend toward increasing humidity, consistent with insolation-driven enhancement of tropical and Indian Ocean moisture advection. Comparisons with records from northern Namibia, Botswana, and western Zambia reveal a coherent pattern of mid- to late Holocene humidification across the northwestern interior, in contrast to coastal aridification. Periods of both in-phase and antiphase variability with other regional records highlight the role of the Angola–Benguela Front and associated upwelling dynamics in modulating Namibian hydroclimate. These results delineate distinct Holocene climate response regions in northern Namibia and Botswana and demonstrate the non-linear nature of regional responses to insolation forcing and underscore the importance of coastal–inland atmospheric interactions in shaping long-term hydroclimate variability in southwestern Africa.

The global degradation of freshwater lakes threatens biodiversity and critical ecosystem services. Restoring aquatic macrophytes is essential for reversing this decline, yet a fundamental challenge persists: the debate between aiming for historical baseline conditions or accepting novel ecosystems in the Anthropocene. This dilemma is exacerbated by a lack of long-term data about pre-degradation states. Current assessments are based mainly on short-term in situ observations, providing limited insights into historical reference conditions and hindering the development of effective restoration targets. Here, we develop an evolutionary restoration methodological approach that integrates sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA), pollen, macrofossils, satellite remote sensing and contemporary surveys to determine the centennial-scale trajectory of macrophyte communities and inform their restoration targets. Taking Lake Liangzi (eastern China) as a case study, our results show that submerged taxa (e.g. Potamogeton crispus, Najas minor and Chara spp.) dominated under oligotrophic conditions until the 1960, after which nutrient pollution drove a shift to floating-leaved and emergent taxa (e.g. Nelumbo nucifera, Nymphaea macrosperma and Pontederia crassipes), and eventually to an algal-dominated regime. Ecological Quality Ratio (EQR) assessments reveal a clear degradation trajectory in Lake Liangzi; macrophytes' ecological quality declined from Good (pre-2010) to Poor (present). The results indicate that restoration to pre-1960 baseline conditions is unlikely to be directly achievable. Instead, we propose a phased restoration pathway that first targets re-establishment of the ecologically functional Anthropocene baseline represented by the 1960-2010 coexistence state, with the longer-term aspiration of recovering submerged macrophyte-dominated communities. Synthesis and applications. Findings move beyond the polarized historical vs. novel ecosystem debate by advancing a dynamic restoration pathway and targets for macrophytes. This pathway presents the Anthropocene baseline as a pragmatic stepping stone towards long-term recovery and offers managers phased, realistic targets that sustain ecosystem services while keeping the operational historical reference as an aspirational goal. The method established offers a practical basis for developing effective restoration strategies and can be applied to Lake Liangzi and similar shallow lakes. It directly informs global freshwater restoration under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Ambitious conservation efforts are needed to curb biodiversity loss as drought severity intensifies globally. Here, we assess the exposure of resident terrestrial vertebrates within global biodiversity hotspots to drought severity surpassing the extremes experienced during their pre-industrial history. We show that 22.5% of threatened terrestrial vertebrates (especially reptiles and amphibians) have recently experienced drought severity exceeding their historical extremes across at least half of their current geographic range. Under an intermediate greenhouse gas emission scenario (Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 2-4.5), this proportion is projected to reach 36.5% by the latter half of the 21st century, with mid-latitude dryland biodiversity hotspots facing the most severe drought exposure. Importantly, a low-warming future (Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 1-2.6) will reduce exposure estimates of species by 8.5% compared to Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 2-4.5, highlighting the urgency of ambitious climate mitigation. However, as future drought exposure is projected to increase across most biodiversity hotspots, and many exposed regions face inadequate protection and substantial social burdens, expanding adaptive conservation without compromising local well-being is essential. Our findings offer spatial guidance for prioritizing conservation and adaptive strategies in biodiversity hotspots, contributing to global biodiversity targets.

The northern South China Sea (SCS) is a critical region for understanding East Asian Monsoon dynamics. However, integrated, multi-proxy records elucidating long-term climatic and vegetation changes in this region remain fragmented, with a notable scarcity of coherent land-ocean interaction data during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This gap has impeded progress in elucidating the mechanisms underpinning monsoon variability and in rigorously evaluating the performance of palaeoclimate models. To address this, we conducted a multi-proxy analysis combining palynological, organic- and inorganic-geochemical methods on a marine sediment core from the northern SCS to reconstruct environmental and oceanic dynamics at millennial-scale resolution that spans the last 33 ka. Our results reveal a clear contrast between glacial and interglacial regimes. The glacial period, especially the LGM, was characterized by higher sedimentation rates, elevated marine primary productivity, cooler and drier conditions, herb-dominated vegetation, and intensified fire activity. This regime was dominantly forced by low sea level and glacial aridity, which together promoted open terrestrial vegetation and enhanced nutrient input to the ocean. The deglaciation was characterized by pronounced warming, reduced productivity, increased moisture availability, a shift to pine-dominated vegetation, and reduced fire activity. A key finding is the ocean warming which began around 1.3 ka earlier than major terrestrial changes, indicating that tropical ocean-atmosphere interactions initiated the deglacial transition. The overall findings highlight a fundamental transition in climatic controls, from a glacial regime dominated by sea-level-driven shelf exposure and arid climate to an interglacial regime governed by tropical ocean-atmosphere dynamics. This study underscores the sensitivity of the northern SCS to both high- and low-latitude forcing and the value of integrated land-sea proxies in deciphering complex climate interactions.

Grand anti-desertification schemes often fail when trees die and funding dries up — yet one project has broken the mould. Grand anti-desertification schemes often fail when trees die and funding dries up — yet one project has broken the mould.

The coastal lowlands of eastern China served as important centers for Neolithic wetland rice agriculture. However, there is limited understanding as to how ancient communities mitigated coastal flooding and saltwater intrusion to safeguard rice production. In this study, three sedimentary profiles were collected from a late Neolithic site in the lowlands of coastal East China and subject to multi-proxy analyses including determination of chronology, total organic carbon content, and sporo-pollen analysis to reconstruct the geomorphological and ecological environmental evolution since 6.3 cal. kyr BP. These analyses reveal how Neolithic communities utilized the tidal river landscape across a bayhead delta plain, and indicate that, by 5.9 cal. kyr BP, a tidal river-natural levee-backswamp geomorphic system had developed, with rice cultivation initiated soon after the formation of this landscape. Exploitation in the backswamp intensified between 5.3 and 5.0 cal. kyr BP, resulting in a marked increase in rice productivity, a situation that contrasts sharply with evidence observed at piedmont sites along the Hangzhou Bay coast, where saltwater intrusions were associated with a marked decline in rice yields. Our findings suggest that the late Hemudu communities occupying the bayhead delta plain successfully mitigated coastal flooding and the effects of saline intrusions, thereby ensuring continued stable rice production through the strategic utilization and maintenance of natural levee systems. This study highlights the sophisticated environmental management practices of Neolithic societies in coastal lowlands adopted against a background of environmental deterioration, and offers new insights into the development of wetland rice agriculture in East China.

Global trade underpins sustainable development by linking water, energy and food across distant regions, yet how it reshapes transboundary synergies and trade-offs within this nexus remains poorly understood. Here, by constructing water-energy-food (WEF) networks that integrate cross-border resource flows, we quantify trade-driven changes in the WEF nexus, contrasting actual trade with counterfactual no-trade scenarios. We find that trade has a dual impact on the WEF nexus, fostering cooperative gains while reinforcing cross-country disparities. High-income countries achieve stronger WEF synergies that promote balanced gains in water, energy and food security, whereas low- and lower-middle-income countries experience greater trade-offs characterized by intensified resource competition. Trade deepens cross-regional imbalances, with Europe and North America strengthening internal coordination and acting as connectors for cross-regional synergies, while Central and South Asia exhibit intensified WEF trade-offs both within and across regions. Food-centred competition over water and energy use drives nexus trade-offs, with factors including tariff barriers, economic expansion and logistics connectivity reinforcing this competition. Our findings suggest that countries can complement existing goal- and country-specific actions with stronger cross-border coordination to reduce WEF nexus inequalities in support of 2030 targets and aspirations towards 2045.

Microplastics (MPs) are persistent contaminants that accumulate in lake sediments, yet the long-term dynamics and driving mechanisms of this accumulation in shallow lakes remain poorly understood. Here, we reconstruct 80-year MP depositional histories from three sediment cores in Baiyangdian Lake, a large shallow lake in North China experiencing intensive anthropogenic disturbance. By integrating Rate of Change analysis, coupling models, Partial Least Squares Path Modeling, and random forest modeling, we identify two critical transitions in MP accumulation: an initial increase triggered by reduced hydrological connectivity following dam construction in 1963, and a subsequent accelerated phase driven by rapid socioeconomic development since ∼2000. Spatially, MP abundance exhibits marked heterogeneity (up to 37,230 items kg⁻¹ near inflow rivers vs. 3649 items kg⁻¹ in a nature reserve). Random forest modeling reveals that nutrient enrichment (TOC, TN, TP) and hydrodynamic intensity jointly govern this spatial heterogeneity. Our findings demonstrate that microplastic accumulation in shallow lakes is regulated by a dual mechanism-hydrological connectivity controlling retention capacity, and socioeconomic development controlling input intensity-with strong coupling between MPs and nutrients. The post‑2010 slowdown in accumulation rates shows that policy interventions can leave measurable imprints, while persistently high levels in semi‑enclosed zones highlight the need for targeted remediation. The proposed "switch‑tap" model provides a framework for lake management: effective mitigation requires both source control and, where feasible, restoration of hydrological connectivity.

Although geography’s role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is widely recognised, a comprehensive quantitative synthesis of its intellectual contributions has been absent. This study fills that critical research gap through a large-scale bibliometric analysis. Drawing from 122 core geography journals (Web of Science, 2010–2024), we employed three-level search criteria (SDGs, sustainability and SDG indicators) to identify a final corpus of 70,122 relevant articles. We then combined publication trend analysis, co-citation and collaboration networks, and keyword co-occurrence mapping to systematically delineate research foci, contributions, and future directions. Our findings reveal six major thematic research clusters: (1) climate change impacts and governance; (2) agricultural landscape and environmental sustainability; (3) resilience and adaptive capability in social-ecological systems; (4) land use change and metacoupling impacts; (5) urban growth and transport accessibility; and (6) biodiversity and ecosystem services. The SDG overlap analysis highlights strong linkages among environmental SDGs, while revealing that SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) are more isolated. Overall, geography supports the SDGs across four key dimensions: (1) providing spatial data analysis for assessment; (2) conducting regional studies for localisation; (3) applying human-environment interaction research to advance synergies; and (4) strengthening science-policy interface efforts for achievement. To maximise its future impact, this study calls for the geography community to develop a dedicated methodological framework for SDG analysis, proactively contribute to shaping the post-2030 agenda, advance holistic integrated approaches, and prudently harness the power of artificial intelligence to accelerate sustainability transitions.

Lakes, though covering a minor fraction of Earth’s land surface, are disproportionately important in global carbon cycling and greenhouse gas emissions. Yet how the capacity of sedimentary carbon burial responds to ecological regime shifts remains poorly understood. Here, we reconstruct two centuries of organic carbon (OC) dynamics in Lake Liangzi, a large shallow lake in the middle Yangtze basin, by integrating sediment OC burial rates, stable carbon isotope-based source apportionment (MixSIAR), fluorescence characterization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) using EEM-PARAFAC, and molecular-level analysis using FT-ICR MS. We identify two major ecological transitions. The first, in the 1960s, corresponds to land-use intensification and nutrient enrichment, with sedimentary evidence indicating a shift from a low-productivity state typical of oligotrophic, shallow waters to a high-productivity, macrophyte-algae co-dominated system. The second, since the 2000s, reflects a further ecological shift toward the predominance of phytoplankton and associated enhanced algal-derived inputs and increased humic-like DOM. We reveal that eutrophication-driven shifts from macrophyte-algae coexistence to algal dominance increase labile carbon supply but reduce burial capacity due to intensified microbial mineralization and weakened mineral-associated protection under anoxia. This reduced burial capacity not only weakens long-term carbon sequestration but also potentially enhances greenhouse gas emissions from sediments. These findings indicate that eutrophication-driven ecological shifts fundamentally alter the source composition and diagenetic stability of sedimentary organic matter, diminishing the long-term carbon sequestration capacity of shallow lakes. Effective management should therefore integrate nutrient reduction, hydrological restoration, and ecosystem feedbacks to sustain lacustrine carbon sinks under accelerating environmental change.

Ecological synchrony, the coordinated fluctuation of species or communities, is central to ecosystem stability. Yet how synchrony changes during ecological shifts remains poorly understood. This gap is particularly evident in shallow lakes, where transitions from clear, macrophyte-dominated to turbid, algae-dominated state can dramatically alter synchrony patterns, challenging ecosystem resilience. Here, we integrate century-scale multi-proxy sedimentary records (algal pigments, macrophyte macrofossils, diatom and cladoceran remains) with remote sensing data, to investigate both intra- and inter-community synchrony dynamics throughout multitrophic regime shifts in Lake Liangzi, an iconic shallow lake in eastern China floodplain. Our results reveal that the lake ecosystem experienced two distinct ecological shifts, occurring around the 1960s and 2010s. The lake was initially submerged macrophyte-dominated with low macrophyte community synchrony and limited phytoplankton abundance. Since 1960, the lake entered a gradually transitional phase due to damming and agricultural impacts, with nutrient enrichment, increased algal production, and macrophyte shifts to emergent floating groups. Correspondingly, the synchrony of algal community decreased, but macrophyte synchrony increased towards decline in community stability. Around the mid-2010s, the lake shifted to an algae-dominated regime, characterized by algal proliferation at low synchrony and sustained high synchrony within the degraded macrophyte community. Our ordination analysis identified hydrological regulation, intensified nutrient loading and rising temperatures as main drivers underlying the regime shift. The findings highlight how ecological synchrony modulates ecosystem resilience to environmental disturbances. This study underscores the importance of asynchronous responses in bolstering ecological stability and that synchrony should be recognized as a key indicator of ecological state transitions in shallow lakes.

Based on the frequency of themes covered at the 35th International Geographical Congress (IGC) and the 2024 American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting (AAG-AM), we present an integrated analysis of current research hotspots in geography. The interdisciplinary approach of geography in tackling global challenges, including climate change, urbanization, and sustainable development is highlighted. Hotspot analysis of the 35th IGC reveals the prominence of “Tourism, Leisure, and Global Change,” and “Urban Geography” as key themes, whereas the 2024 AAG-AM placed more emphasis on “GeoAI and Deep Learning,” and “Geospatial Data Science for Sustainability.” Frontier analysis, based on emerging research beyond the two conferences, highlights major critical issues being confronted by geographers, notably Earth’s surface systems, spatial patterns of human activities, intelligent remote sensing, climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, hazards and disaster risk, planetary boundaries, coupled human and natural systems, and global and regional sustainability. The analysis demonstrates that geographical research is becoming more diverse and systematic, and artificial intelligence technology is increasingly being harnessed. This not only reflects specific regional interests and priorities but also shows the dynamic development of geographical research and its important role in dealing with the challenges of the 21st century.