17th session of UN Convention to Combat Desertification opens in Ulaanbaatar
The 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) officially opened on Monday in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Land is the foundation of life, a silent witness to history and the primary resource we pass on to future generations.
When fertile soils turn into wastelands and green pastures give way to sand, humanity loses not just hectares — it loses its future. Combating desertification today has become not only an environmental but also a moral duty, a reminder that restoring nature begins with restoring hope.
Under the theme "Land Restoration, Hope Renewal", delegates from 197 UNCCD parties, along with representatives from UN bodies, international organisations, civil society groups, research institutions and enterprises, will discuss issues such as restoring degraded lands, sustainable land management, drought resilience, and grassland protection and restoration.
The Chinese government delegation will take part in high level dialogues on financing, drought resilience and pastoral lands. It will propose establishing an International Day of Grasslands to encourage the international community to deepen cooperation in grassland protection and restoration and to actively participate in the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Desertified land accounts for about one quarter of China’s total territory. After more than half a century of sustained management, the country has achieved a historic shift from "sand advancing, people retreating" to "green advancing, sand retreating".
The area of desertified and sand affected land continues to shrink. China has become the first country in the world to achieve zero net land degradation, and 53 percent of its treatable sandy land is effectively managed. Over the past five years, China has completed afforestation on 36.6 million hectares, increasing forest cover to more than 25 percent and accounting for about 25 percent of the world’s newly added green areas.
The session is scheduled to run from 17 to 28 August.
As CCTV+ reports, the coming two weeks in Ulaanbaatar will serve as a crucial platform for forging common solutions in the fight against desertification. China’s experience – turning deserts into green belts – stands as compelling evidence that sustainable development is achievable when science, political will and international cooperation come together. The world continues to learn from the land – and to learn how to protect it.
