China helping Africa green its deserts

URUMQI — Scientists from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region are working to help African countries transform their sandy regions into greener, arable land with more trees and productive agricultural practices.

By leveraging smart technologies, indigenous Chinese expertise and a dual commitment to sand control and economic growth, they aim to establish sustainable ecosystems in these regions that have long suffered from desertification, known as "the cancer of Earth".

Noting that desertification is a shared global challenge, Lei Jiaqiang, a lead researcher at the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said collaborative efforts are crucial. Over the past decades, Lei and his colleagues have gained extensive experience in tackling desertification in Northwest China and shared them with African countries.