The Department of Physical Geography and Natural Resources has 18 professors/researchers and three associate professors, among which three are Cheung Kong professors, four were granted the Outstanding Young Scientist Award, two received the Excellent Young Scientist Award, seven received the Overseas Expert for Young Talents, and one is Cheung Kong Young Scholar.

The Department is developing two key disciplines: comprehensive natural geography, surface processes, and environmental evolution In recent years, important progress has been made in the fields of interaction between climate system and ecosystem, soil microbial process, Biogeochemical cycle, geomorphic process and environmental evolution, land change and sustainable use, ecological effects of urbanization, and ecosystem service geography.