With the support of the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO), Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography，Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mauritanian National Agency for the Great Green Wall (GGW), Xinjiang Science and Technology Association, Xinjiang Geographical Society, the Pan-African Great Green Wall (PAGGW) Research Center and the ANSO-ACD jointly held the Second Taklimakan Desert Forum on June 16, 2022, to commemorate the 28th World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. The theme of this forum is "Dialogue between Taklimakan and Sahara Desert for Land Restoration of GGW". More than 100 representatives from Chinese and foreign scientific research institutions, enterprises and universities attended the event.

Prominent guests attending the opening ceremony of the forum included Dr. LIU Jian, Director of the Science Division of UNEP, Mr. MI Ning, first-level inspector of Xinjiang Science and Technology Association, Mr. QU Haihua, Director of UNCCD International Implementation Division of Desertification Control Department under China National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Dr. Malicha Loje Hare, Deputy Commissioner of Oromia Bureau of Irrigation and Pastoral Development of the FDR of Ethiopia, and Mr. Abderrahmane, Secretary General of the Mauritanian National Agency for the GGW. Scholars from Nigeria, Ethiopia and other countries and international organizations shared academic reports at the event.

Prof. CAO Jinghua, Executive Director of the ANSO Secretariat, congratulated on the opening of the forum on behalf of his organization. He said that ANSO attaches great importance to scientific and technological cooperation and achievement sharing in desertification control. It has set up the ANSO-ACD, established special zones for the Aral Sea and the GGW, and carried out a series of innovative work and fruitful cooperation and exchanges focusing on local, regional and global desertification issues.

XIEG Director ZHANG Yuanming pointed out in his speech that the institute has actively implemented the Silk Road Green Development Initiative and conducted a host of cooperative research with GGW countries. The institute and the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall (PAAGGW) jointly established the PAGGW Research Center, organized the GGW development technology workshop, and enrolled and trained more than forty African students, making concerted contribution to the new journey of building the GGW.

Prof. LEI Jiaqiang, director of ANSO-ACD and director of PAGGW Research Center, put forward cooperation suggestions for the urgent needs in building the GGW. He advised to establish a multi-tiered and interdimensional comprehensive coordination rotating system in terms of management mode and coordination mechanism, build a Chinese green technology park and desert ecological industrial park to support the GGW, and coordinate high integration of ecology and livelihood in the development of the African-led initiative. He also advocated to promote and apply the Chinese people's experiences in combating desertification to the construction of the African eco-environment project and enhance public participation.

Source: QIAO Jianfang

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography，Chinese Academy of Sciences