From September 19 to 21, 2016, the 3rd International Symposium on Earth Observation for Arid and Semi-Arid Environments (ISEO2016) was held in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan. More than 80 scholars from nine countries attended the symposium, of which SDIM was a co-organizer. The Dushanbe Declaration was adopted at the symposium, and participants had a discussion on the decision-making support of scientific data sharing and earth observation technology for the sustainable development of countries and regions along the Belt and Road. The symposium promoted multilateral exchanges and cooperation between SDIM and Central Asian countries, and enhanced SDIM’s academic influence in Central Asia.