China to cooperate with Iran over dust and sand
Head of the Chinese Academy of Forestry stated that the Chinese government is eager to closely collaborate with Iran in curbing dust and sand storms.
China is considering the establishment of a multinational center to tackle the problem of dust and sand storms with the participation of Arab countries in the Middle East, ISNA reported.
“We hope that after the establishment of this center, we could closely cooperate with the Iranian government to counter dust and sand storms,” Sun Tao said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the International Conference on Dealing with Sand and Dust Storms, Tao referenced the notable project of the Great Green Wall which is currently the largest ongoing forestation project worldwide. Initiated in 1978 and planned for completion around 2050, the project aims to combat the encroachment of the Gobi Desert. Despite some setbacks and failures, it has been largely successful.
The Great Green Wall project primarily focuses on planting trees and shrubs to create a living barrier in the main dust sources of China, including the Gobi and Shapato deserts. Over 32 million hectares of living windbreaks have been established so far, stabilizing the soil in northern China’s primary dust sources. The efforts to combat desertification extend beyond tree planting, with various initiatives aimed at rejuvenating damaged plants in the country’s forests and pastures.
China is at the forefront of addressing desertification and dust storms. The Chinese government is ready to assist both Iran and Arab countries in the Middle East in reducing the destructive impact of sand storms in their respective regions.
In addition, China aspires to plant around 70 billion trees across different areas of the country as part of the global initiative of planting one trillion trees.