China, Arab states launch action plan to combat desertification and land degradation

China and Arab states have unveiled a five-year action plan to deepen cooperation on drought, desertification and land degradation, with a strong focus on joint research, technology sharing and capacity building, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The plan was released on Saturday on the sidelines of the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which is taking place in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, the administration said in a media release on Sunday.

Under the plan, the two sides will step up practical cooperation in areas including the restoration of desertified and degraded land, sand and dust storm monitoring and early warning, grassland protection and sustainable use, biodiversity conservation, and wetland protection and restoration.

They will also strengthen the China-Arab desertification-control network, improve mechanisms for sharing policies, technologies and research outcomes, and expand partnerships under the Belt and Road Initiative. Governments, research institutions, businesses, social organizations and local communities will be encouraged to take part.

On the technology side, the plan calls for shared platforms for technologies, data and research results, interdisciplinary joint research, and the development and promotion of tools such as remote-sensing monitoring and intelligent assessment for land degradation. The two sides will also work to build demonstration bases supporting implementation of the UN convention.

Capacity-building efforts will be expanded through exchanges among young experts, joint research, field demonstrations and technical training.

The meeting was jointly hosted by the administration and the Secretariat of the League of Arab States, and organized by the Chinese Academy of Forestry and the China-Arab States International Research Center on Drought, Desertification and Land Degradation.

The research center was inaugurated in August 2023 during an international forum on desert control. Its establishment was among the outcomes of the first China-Arab States Summit in 2022.

Representatives from China, the Arab League and its member states, as well as international organizations, including the UNCCD secretariat, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Environment Programme and the World Bank, attended the meeting.