As the 1st Virtual Thematic Workshop of the "Young Scientists Forum" sponsored by the Youth Innovation Promotion Association (YIPA) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China-Latin America and the Caribbean Workshop on Groundwater was held online on August 17. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this workshop took the form of video conference and live broadcast online. It brought together top scientists from China, Latin America, and the Caribbean to have interdisciplinary discussions on "global groundwater," the theme of global concern. As one of the series of international activities of CAS YIPA, this workshop not only invited more than 60 scientists from China, Latin America, and the Caribbean to have discussions online, but also attracted tens of thousands of audiences from China and all over the world to participate.

Dr. Li Yin, Director of CAS Bureau of International Cooperation and Chairman of the Young Affiliates Network (TYAN) of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Dr. Virgílio Augusto Fernandes Almeida, Committee Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and Chairman of the Latin America and the Caribbean Representatives (TWAS-LACREP), Dr. Shi Yi, Chairman of CAS YIPA Council and Professor of Institute of Microbiology of CAS, and Dr. Franco M. Cabrerizo, Member of the Argentina Juvenil Academy (AJA) and Member of the Executive Committee of TWAS TYAN, attended the workshop and successively delivered opening speeches.

Dr. Fang Shaobo of Institute of Physics (IOP), CAS, Academic Chairman of CAS YIPA Council, and Dr. Veridiana Martins of the Brazilian Institute of Geosciences, Member of the Executive Committee of TWAS TYAN, co-chaired the workshop on behalf of China, and Latin America and the Caribbean respectively.

Prof. Lu Zhengtian, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Dean of the School of the Gifted Young of University of Science and Technology of China, delivered a keynote speech themed "Atom Trap Krypton-81, and Global Groundwater" on behalf of China; Prof. Daniel Martinez, Member of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Research of Argentina, delivered a keynote speech themed "Krypton-81 data and its significance in hydrology from a South-American perspective" on behalf of the Latin America and the Caribbean; Dr. Florian Ritterbusch of the University of Science and Technology of China delivered an invited talk on "Dating of glacier ice and ocean water on the millennium scale"; Tirza Contreras Galeano, Engineer of Honduras Central Hydropower Station delivered an invited talk on "Establishing the local meteoric water line in El Cajón reservoir, Honduras, using stable isotopes." This workshop depicted a beautiful vision of scientists from China, Latin American and Caribbean countries jointly protecting global groundwater. It provided a broad stage for young scholars from both sides to have interdisciplinary, cross-border and frank exchanges and discussions. It also underlined the fact that science has no borders and scientists from all over the world have the determination to overcome difficulties together and care for each other while facing the threat of the pandemic.

This workshop received strong support from the IOP YIPA Group and IOP Science Communication Center. It provided a great opportunity for Chinese and foreign scientists and science lovers to "talk" with top international academic experts. It was broadcast live through Bilibili and YouTube studios in a way that young people like, which played an important role in promoting academic exchanges and science popularization.