China to Showcase Desertification Control Efforts at UNCCD COP16

China will be prominently featured at the upcoming 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16), taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2nd to 13th. This year marks the 30th anniversary of China's signing of the UNCCD, and the country is taking this opportunity to showcase its significant achievements in desertification control.

The China Pavilion, with a total area of 608 square meters, will be the largest national pavilion at the conference, aside from the host country. It will feature an exhibition highlighting China's desertification control efforts, with a particular focus on the Three-North Shelterbelt Project, a massive afforestation initiative spanning across northern China. The pavilion will also host a series of side events and exchange activities, fostering dialogue and collaboration on desertification issues.

Huang Caiyi, director of the Desertification Control Department of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and China's national liaison man for the UNCCD, emphasized the significance of this event. He stated that this is the first time China will comprehensively showcase its desertification control efforts and the Three-North Shelterbelt Project on an international stage.

The opening of the China Pavilion on December 2nd coincides with the conference's opening day, and it will remain open until the conference concludes. This conference marks the third major United Nations environmental convention meeting held this year, following the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It is expected to lay the groundwork for comprehensive discussions on climate, biodiversity, desertification, and global sustainable development issues at the United Nations General Assembly later this year.