Uzbekistan and China exchange experience in combating desertification

An online seminar for Uzbek specialists was held in the Chinese capital to study the positive experiences of China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in combating desertification.

The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan, the Uzbek and Chinese embassies in China and Tashkent, the Foreign Affairs Office of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, as well as the Forestry and Steppe Administration, the Desertification Cooperation Center, the Ecological Restoration Department, and the Ningxia Forestry Survey and Planning Institute.

During the seminar, Chinese experts presented Ningxia's practical achievements in combating desertification, improving saline soils, and implementing highly efficient water conservation, as well as the use of existing partnership mechanisms, particularly the Desertification Cooperation Center, established in Ningxia as part of the Central Asia-China format to implement joint projects and create a model for environmental cooperation.

Participants noted that Uzbekistan and China, which share a temperate continental climate, face common challenges such as drought, water shortages, and the management of alkaline and saline soils. They also share a desire to protect their ecological homeland and promote sustainable development. The practical experience accumulated by both countries in environmental protection has laid a solid foundation for their complementary cooperation.

To practically implement their goals in combating desertification, the parties agreed to organize joint specialist visits to the regions to study local practices.