This is the opening ceremony of the 4th Taklamakan Desert International Forum, filmed on December 14th in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Xinhua News Agency (Picture provided by Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Dakar, December 14 (Xinhua) — The 4th Taklamakan Desert International Forum was held in the capital of Mauritania, Nouakchott, on the 14th. Chinese and African officials and experts attending the meeting expressed that desertification and land degradation are common challenges facing humanity, and that we should strengthen scientific and technological exchanges and practical cooperation, promote mutual learning of desertification control experience, and jointly promote the construction of the “Green Great Wall” in Africa.
Duan Weili, Deputy Director of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in his speech at the opening ceremony of the forum that after more than 70 years of systematic governance, China has formed a practice path characterized by scientific prevention and control, comprehensive governance and ecological benefits to the people in the field of desertification prevention and control, and is the first in the world to achieve “zero growth” of land degradation. Among them, the experience of edge management and ecological barrier construction in the Taklamakan Desert can provide reference for the management of arid and semi-arid regions in Africa.
Sidna Ahmed Elie, Director of the National “Green Great Wall” Agency of Mauritania, said that in recent years, Mauritania has cooperated with Chinese scientific research institutions to promote pilot projects such as sand dune fixation, vegetation restoration, and soil improvement, and has made positive progress. He looks forward to further strengthening cooperation between the two sides in information sharing, joint research, and environmental monitoring.
Xiao Wensheng, Counsellor in charge of economic affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Mauritania, stated that China is willing to work with African countries to strengthen policy communication and technological cooperation, support the construction of the “Green Great Wall” in Africa, and help enhance regional ecological governance capabilities.
Mauritania’s Minister of Commerce and Tourism, Zainab Minte Hemedna, said that climate change and land degradation have become important issues related to food security and economic and social stability in Africa. Mao attaches great importance to cooperation with China in the field of desertification prevention and control, and the cooperation projects between the two sides have become practical examples of South South cooperation.
Attendees believe that strengthening technical exchanges and project collaboration between China and Africa in the field of desertification control will help promote the sharing of desertification control experience and provide support for achieving sustainable development in arid and semi-arid regions.
The forum was co sponsored by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Mauritania, the the Belt and Road International Science Organization Alliance and the Pan African “Green Great Wall” Organization Secretariat. During the forum, keynote speeches, thematic discussions, and roundtable dialogues on the Taklamakan Desert and Sahara Desert were also held.