On April 22, the Frontiers Planet Prize announced its list of 25 National Champions for 2026. Hong WANG, a 2025 graduate of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), was named China’s National Champion for 2026 for the paper “Anthropogenic climate change has influenced global river flow seasonality,” published in Science in March 2024. Hong WANG is the first author of the paper, with Professor Junguo LIU serving as the corresponding author and nominator for the award.

The Frontiers Planet Prize was established by the Frontiers Research Foundation (FRF) on Earth Day in 2022 to recognize the world’s most innovative scientists in sustainable development. Each year, three International Champions are selected and awarded USD 1 million each. The 2026 National Champions were selected by an independent jury of 100 experts in Earth system and planetary health, chaired by Professor Johan Rockström, originator of the “planetary boundaries” framework.

The award-winning paper’s key contribution lies in revealing that anthropogenic climate change has significantly influenced the seasonality of global river flow. The study shows that approximately 21% of long-term river monitoring stations have experienced significant seasonal changes in flow, with an overall weakening trend observed in high-latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The research further confirms that these changes are primarily driven by human-induced climate change. These findings hold important scientific and practical value for understanding global hydrological cycle changes, managing flood and drought risks, ensuring water security, and protecting freshwater ecosystems.

Following this recognition, Hong WANG will advance to the final stage of the competition, where she will compete for the title of International Champion.

Previous China National Champions of the prize include Professor Baojing GU of Zhejiang University (2023, also the inaugural International Champion), Researcher Yang OU of Peking University (2024), and Professor Xing YUAN of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2025).

The Frontiers Planet Prize aims to identify and promote scalable, evidence-based scientific solutions for planetary health, helping humanity remain within the safe operating space defined by the nine planetary boundaries.