BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. Uzbekistan and China have expanded cooperation on combating desertification and restoring degraded ecosystems, signing a new agreement on environmental technologies and sustainable land management during a forum in Tashkent.
This was reflected in the statement by Uzbekistan's National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.
The event, titled "Advanced Practices in Establishing an Ecological Shelterbelt in Inner Mongolia," was organized by the Forestry Agency under Uzbekistan's National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change in cooperation with China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
The forum brought together Uzbek and Chinese government officials, scientists, international organizations and environmental experts to exchange experience on combating desertification, restoring degraded land and promoting the sustainable management of natural resources.
Among those attending were Aziz Abdukhakimov, adviser to the Uzbek president on environmental issues and chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Erkin Mukhitdinov, director of the Forestry Agency, and Shi Guanhui, deputy secretary of the Communist Party Committee of China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Participants discussed approaches to expanding forest cover, restoring degraded ecosystems and introducing modern technologies in forestry and grassland management, with particular emphasis on scientific innovation and climate resilience.
A centerpiece of the event was an exhibition highlighting China's experience in combating desertification in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, including progress under the country's large-scale ecological shelterbelt program. Delegates also viewed the documentary Green Silk Road: Rebirth in the Desert, which showcases China's Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program and its long-term efforts to restore arid landscapes through afforestation and ecosystem rehabilitation.
Experts from both countries also exchanged experience on forestry management, ecosystem restoration and the application of advanced technologies for seedling production and sustainable forest resource management.
During the forum, Wang Zhaosheng, director of the Forestry and Grassland Administration of Inner Mongolia, presented China's experience in ecological restoration and sustainable forestry, while Bakhtiyor Pulatov, rector of Green University, outlined opportunities for expanding scientific cooperation, environmental education and joint research initiatives between the two countries.
"A key outcome of the event was the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between M-Grass Ecology and Environment Group Co., Ltd. and Green University. The agreement provides for the implementation of joint projects on seed and seedling production, the restoration of degraded grasslands, combating desertification and the introduction of advanced environmental technologies," the committee said in the statement.
The agreement builds on earlier commitments reached during the international China-Central Asia Cooperation on Combating Desertification conference in Yinchuan and reflects growing environmental cooperation between Uzbekistan and China. As Uzbekistan intensifies efforts to expand forest cover and address the effects of climate change, collaboration with China is expected to support the adoption of advanced restoration technologies, strengthen scientific partnerships, and accelerate land rehabilitation projects across the region.
