China’s ecological governance experience offers lessons for Africa

Confronting the challenges of land degradation, ecological fragility and development needs in many African countries, international experts spoke highly of China's expertise in territorial spatial planning, ecosystem restoration and multistakeholder collaborative governance.

They said China's approach provides a replicable model for countries at a similar stage of development and highlighted the broad prospects for China-Africa cooperation in the field during the recently concluded Global Landscapes Forum Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.

Winnie Musila, coordinator for the World Bank-funded Water Shared Services Improvement Project in Kenya, praised China's "One Map" — a unified information platform based on a common geographic base — used in natural resource management and territorial spatial planning.

Musila said that by integrating multiple types of data and coordinating planning across different levels, the platform improves overall coordination among various projects.

She also emphasized that China's initiatives, such as developing industries to drive ecotourism and increase community income, provide important lessons for Africa in exploring sustainable financing models.

Javkhlan Ariunbaatar, director-general of the Policy Partnership and Communication Department at the National Office of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP17, said that China's practices in natural resource management, territorial spatial planning and private-sector participation in ecological restoration are of great significance for global desertification control.

Ariunbaatar also expressed hope for deepening South-South cooperation between Mongolia and China and expanding collaboration in areas such as knowledge and technology sharing and digital ecological governance.

Looking at Ethiopia, Adefires Worku Gizaw, coordinator of the Green Legacy Initiative of Ethiopia, said that China's strategic planning capacity in ecological restoration offers important lessons for Ethiopia.

Gizaw noted that, against the backdrop of an accelerating global green transition, strengthening cooperation with China in ecological restoration, knowledge sharing and talent development will help Ethiopia shift from traditional governance to a technology-enabled transformation.

Habtamu Hailu, coordinator for the sustainable landscape management program in Ethiopia, noted that Ethiopia and China have already cooperated in areas such as bamboo resource development and seedling cultivation, and that China's technological strengths in multiple fields provide important support for local ecological governance.

Million Alemayehu Gizaw, senior natural resource management specialist at the World Bank's Ethiopia office, said China has mature experience in coordinating ecological protection with economic development.

Gizaw expressed hope for promoting cooperation through a combination of government leadership and international support so that China's ecological governance experience can be applied in Ethiopia, achieving a win-win outcome of ecological protection and improved livelihoods.