China's desertification control wins high praise from UN official

United Nations (UN) Under Secretary General Yasmine Fouad praised China’s progress in desertification control and urged that its experience be shared more widely across the globe.

Fouad, who is also the executive secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), said China’s push for land degradation neutrality is closely tied to global restoration efforts and biodiversity goals.

"China has declared the land degradation neutrality and is working very well towards achieving that. There is a lot of restoration activities that would be part of what we are already doing in the convention in restoring more land. I think also that enlarging that to link land degradation or desertification, combating desertification with the Kunming-Montreal biodiversity targets, because that is something that came out from China when it was leading on the presidency of COP 15 of the biodiversity. But what is missing out is to bring this to the world," she said at an interview with the China Central Television (CCTV).

China, a contracting party to the UNCCD since 1994, has become the first country in the world to achieve land degradation neutrality, with both desertified and sandy land areas shrinking simultaneously.

The UNCCD Secretariat has honored China three times with its "Outstanding Contribution to Combating Desertification" award, hailing the nation's achievements with the phrase, "The world looks to China for desertification control."

Figures from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration show that China treated about 10.13 million hectares of desertified land and about 1.95 million hectares of rocky desertification during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period. The country also aims to treat about 6.7 million hectares of desertified land by 2030.

Fouad underscored the importance of South-South cooperation, noting that China is uniquely positioned to lead.

"China can lead on a South-South cooperation program and part of my mission here is to present this strategic partnership between the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA), representing our counterpart to the UNCCD, and the UNCCD in order to open a wide South-South cooperation," she said.

China's desertification control wins high praise from UN official

Displaced farming families are returning to their homeland in Gaza City, restoring fields and growing food again, though challenges like poor farming conditions and lack of supplies remain.

In parts of Gaza, farmland damaged during Israel's war on the enclave is slowly coming back to life.

Fresh vegetables are being harvested again from farmland in Gaza City's Al-Zaitoun neighborhood.

For the Al-Dahdouh family, these crops mark the return of their land to life.

The challenges have been immense. Nearly three years of war have left much of Gaza's farmland damaged or bulldozed, making the return to farming a difficult task for families trying to start again.

"When we returned after being displaced, the land was covered with piles of rubble and debris and was difficult to access. Everyone in the family worked together to rehabilitate it for farming. Thankfully, we were finally able to cultivate it again," said Wajiha Al-Dahdouh, a Palestinian farmer.

Rebuilding livelihoods and restoring a sense of normal life remains difficult after the three years of war, repeated displacement and the loss of income for many families.

"We can't afford to hire workers to help us with farming because of the high costs. We also face serious difficulties securing water for irrigation and pesticides. It has been a huge burden on us," said Iman Al-Dahdouh, another Palestinian farmer.

The Al-Dahdouh family is among around 350 farming families supported by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with Relief Housing Units and farming assistance.

Around 1,100 families are expected to benefit in total.

"For the last three years, it has been total destruction, and people have had to leave their homelands. The families have been displaced multiple times to various locations in the midland south area of the Gaza Strip. What you see here now is life returning to the neighborhood, and UNDP supports these families through providing dignified shelters and housing solutions through what we call relief housing units," said Margunn Indreboe Alshaikh, deputy special representative of UNDP Palestine.

The initiative is part of UNDP's Neighbourhood Approach, combining housing with basic services and livelihood support.

Displaced farmers arrive back in Gaza amid challenges