A year ago, no one doubted that Japan would host the Olympic Games in the summer. 

Then on January 3, 2020, samples taken from patients in China’s central city of Wuhan were brought to a laboratory in Shanghai and SARS-CoV-2 genome was sequenced within 40 hours. In the midst of globalization, it didn't take long for the virus to dominate the world. At the same time, massive bushfires spread across Australia and troops were dispatched to control the fire, and East Africa was exposed to the onslaught of desert locust.

One year later, the world welcomed 2021 but the coronavirus has not subsided all over the world, and in addition to the third wave, mutated viruses continue to spread. On the other hand, due to the early disclosure of genome information, vaccines were developed at an unprecedented speed by the end of 2020, and vaccinations have been implemented in several countries, and the effects are on the recovery of the world economy. In contrast, there is no silver bullet like a vaccine for climate change, and many countries, including Japan, have made commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, and to implement concrete technologies and systems in the future. 

The Nature editorial states that climate change and COVID-19 vaccine will be the highlights of science and research in 2021. JIRCAS is tackling global issues through the development of technologies in agriculture, forestry and fisheries in tropical and subtropical zones of developing regions. In 2021, we will continue to report on trends in global issues.

References
 

Exclusive: The Chinese Scientist Who Sequenced the First COVID-19 Genome Speaks Out About the Controversies Surrounding His Work. TIME, BY CHARLIE CAMPBELL / SHANGHAI AUGUST 24, 2020 10:07 PM EDT 　https://time.com/5882918/zhang-yongzhen-interview-china-coronavirus-gen…　

BBC News　Australia fires: A visual guide to the bushfire crisis　31 January 2020　https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50951043　

Desert Locust situation update - 13 January 2020　https://reliefweb.int/report/ethiopia/desert-locust-situation-update-13…　　

Nature　22 DECEMBER 2020　The science events to watch for in 2021 Climate change and COVID-19 vaccines are among the themes set to shape research.　https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03651-0

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki (Research Strategy Office)