From December 2nd to December 14th, 2024, the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The conference, themed "Our Land, Our Future," aimed to address the global challenge of desertification by rallying global forces to discuss desertification combating and promote sustainable development strategy.

Prof. DONG Suocheng, Director of the Northeast Asia Sustainable Development Research Center at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Chairman of International Scientists Alliance of the Belt and Road along with the Chief Scientist of the Green Chain International Cooperation Fund of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, was invited to participate in UNCCD COP16.

At the side event titled "The Great Green Wall Going Global," hosted by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China, Prof. DONG delivered a keynote report on "Desertification Combating and Green Development Mode and Practices in Northwest China and the Mongolian Plateau." He proposed to construct the "Great Green Wall in the Yellow River Basin and the Mongolian Plateau."

He suggested to implement the successful models of desertification combating and green development of typical areas, establishing a green low-carbon circular economic system, and building a Great Green Wall for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, aiming to achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, and high-quality development with green and low-carbon goals.

He recommended to promote the integrated management which involves mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, and green development experience of the Inner Mongolian Plateau.

DONG further proposed to jointly build a "four belts and one area" ecological security barrier and green mine circular economy demonstration zone so as to promote sustainable development in the region.

Furthermore, he suggested to establish an integrated, information-based, intelligent, and networked decision system for desertification monitoring and early warning in the Mongolian Plateau, and jointly construct an international Great Green Wall for desertification combating and green development along the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor.

Keynote speeches were also delivered by Mr. TANG Fanglin, Deputy Director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration; Mr. LIU Bing, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Three-North Shelterbelt Project Office; Mr. JIANG Youchang, Global Mechanism Project Director of the UNCCD Secretariat; and representatives from the Saudi Arabian National Vegetation Cover Development and Desertification Control Center.

These reports shared successful experiences in building "Green Great Walls" and international desertification combating, such as China’s "Three-North" Shelterbelt Project.

These presentations garnered enthusiastic responses and recognition from UNCCD and other international organizations, as well as international delegates in the attendance.