China to offer technological support for Africa's anti-desertification project

BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- China has approved a project to offer technological support for the construction of Africa's Great Green Wall, the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences said on Tuesday.

Proposed by the African Union in 2007, Africa's Great Green Wall initiative aims to reverse desertification spreading drought, famine, and poverty through the Sahel region.

According to Lei Jiaqiang, director of the XIEG, China will cooperate with Mauritania, Nigeria and Ethiopia, amongst other African countries, to systematically diagnose desertification and the technical needs in the region.

The project will bring China's desertification prevention and control technologies, materials, and products to Africa, and conduct environmental adaptability assessments.

It will also include personnel training and capacity building on anti-desertification measures in African countries. Some Chinese enterprises dealing with prevention and control of desertification will also participate in the project.

"We hope to bring China's wisdom in anti-desertification to Africa and help enhance the capability of desertification prevention in African countries along the Great Green Wall," Lei said.