2026 'Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation' events cover climate resilience and green transition

On June 5, the flagship Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation: 2026 Climate Resilience and Green Transition Dialogue event began in Jinta County, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province. The day also coincided with World Environment Day, with China's theme being "Comprehensive Green Transformation: Building a Beautiful China Together" for this year's observance.

Building on the outcomes and networks established through previous events in the series, the dialogue combines field visits with thematic discussions, showcasing scalable, innovative practices that contribute to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) and support national pathways toward carbon neutrality and climate-resilient development, and continues into June 6 across various sites in Jiuquan.

Attendees observe the flagship Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation: 2026 Climate Resilience and Green Transition Dialogue event on June 5 in Jinta county, Jiuquan city, Gansu province. The dialogue runs from June 5 to 6 across various sites in Jiuquan.

The dialogue was jointly organized by the China Internet Information Center (CIIC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representation in China, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) China Office, the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP-CSAM), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China. It was also supported by the China Green Foundation, a civil society organization that promotes afforestation and environmental awareness, and by the Ant Forest Foundation, which was launched by Ant Financial Services Group, an affiliate of Alibaba.

More than 100 people attended either in person or online, representing eight countries and a diverse range of stakeholders, including eight international organizations, government agencies, embassies in China, United Nations entities, research institutions, private-sector partners, civil society organizations, beneficiary farmers and the media.

Yu Yunquan, vice president of the China International Communications Group, delivers an opening speech at the dialogue.

Yu Yunquan, vice president of the China International Communications Group (CICG), highlighted the increasingly important role of science and technology in advancing ecological governance and rural development in his opening speech. Yu noted that technological innovation is evolving from merely "shaping the environment" to "creating value" and that this transformation drives new opportunities for sustainable growth. He emphasized that leveraging science and technology for the purpose of promoting rural development is a vital pathway to strengthening climate resilience and accelerating the green transformation of agriculture in addition to being a vivid demonstration of the principle that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

"Building an ecological civilization requires compelling narratives that resonate with people in addition to sustained, hands-on efforts on the ground," he observed.

A comprehensive international communication institution, CICG remains committed to sharing the story of Chinese modernization with global audiences. Yu further stressed CICG's readiness to leverage its strengths in international communication and multi-stakeholder engagement to help foster platforms for international cooperation.

"We are willing to work hand in hand with partners around the world to build a community of innovation and a community of knowledge," he concluded. "Together, we can better tell the stories of ecological civilization and green development, contribute to greater global consensus, and bring collective wisdom and strength to building a shared future for all life on Earth."

A pre-recorded video message by Dima Al-Khatib, director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, plays during the opening ceremony of the dialogue.

"Achieving climate resilience and a green transition will require sustained investment and collective action," stated Dima Al-Khatib, director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation. "By leveraging South-South and triangular cooperation, climate and development finance, and private-sector engagement, countries can mobilize the resources, expertise, and innovation needed to support communities, local actors, research institutions, and practitioners at scale."

A pre-recorded video message by Stephen Jackson, UN resident coordinator in China, plays during the opening ceremony of the dialogue.

"China's experience offers valuable lessons," Stephen Jackson, UN resident coordinator in China, remarked. "Programs such as the 'Three‑North' Shelterbelt [A massive, ongoing afforestation program spanning northern China that was launched in 1978 in order to combat the rapid expansion of the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts and is also known as China's Great Green Wall] and Ant Forest show how long‑term vision, innovation, and public participation can restore ecosystems and improve livelihoods."

He also emphasized that lasting progress requires partnership, knowledge sharing and collective action.

Ai Yinfang, deputy director-general of the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), delivers an opening speech at the dialogue.

Ai Yinfang, deputy director-general of the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), stressed that attention should be paid to inclusiveness, localization, and synergy when implementing relevant projects in an opening speech. She stated that, in the future, CICETE will continue to identify more "replicable and implementable" practical cases, promote diversified capacity-building in order to help policymakers and practitioners in developing countries enhance their hands-on capabilities in green transformation, and facilitate the coordination of multilateral and bilateral resources so that China's successful experience can be more effectively shared abroad, contributing China's strength to the development of Global South countries and the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Huang Xiaochun, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) Jinta County Committee and head of Jinta County, delivers a welcome speech during the opening ceremony of the dialogue.

Huang Xiaochun, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) Jinta County Committee and head of Jinta County, observed in his welcoming speech that Jinta is among the regions most severely affected by desertification and land sandification in China. The deputy secretary noted that the people of Jinta have remained steadfast in their efforts to expand green cover and combat desertification since the 1950s and that the county has actively aligned its development with the country's "dual-carbon" objectives since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which was held in 2012. Huang stated that Jinta has completed 850,000 mu (56,700 ha) of afforestation and reforestation and protected 539,000 mu (35,900 ha) of desertified land via enclosure and conservation measures and that these efforts have resulted in both desertified and sandy land areas in the county contracting continuously for more than two decades while efforts to prevent wind erosion and stabilize sand have progressed in tandem with rising incomes for local farmers.

"The continuous improvement of the ecological environment that has occurred has breathed new life into Jinta while providing a strong foundation for rural green transformation, industrial renewal and upgrading, and climate resilience," Huang added. "Green development has become the most distinctive hallmark of Jinta's development."

Nii Quaye-Kumah, IFAD China representative and head of the South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) Centre for Asia-Pacific, moderates the dialogue's opening ceremony.

"IFAD is committed to supporting efforts that enhance the application of climate-adaptive technologies, promote green energy, and foster circular economies – ensuring that the most vulnerable are not left behind in this transformation," noted Nii Quaye-Kumah, IFAD China representative and head of the South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) Centre for Asia-Pacific. "We believe that empowering rural communities with the right tools and knowledge is the cornerstone of sustainable development."

Lei Jiaqiang, desertification control expert; research fellow at the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivers a keynote speech during the dialogue.

In a keynote speech, Lei Jiaqiang, a desertification control expert and research fellow at the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated, "Through science-based desertification control and innovative development models, China has become the first country to achieve zero net land degradation, offering an effective solution to global desertification challenges."

He remarked that China has pioneered a sustainable development pathway that integrates desertification control, ecological restoration, and economic development and that this progress has been driven by technologies and practices such as straw checkerboard sand barriers, water-efficient afforestation, and the development of desert-based industries alongside emerging innovations including the ecological use of brackish water and the integration of photovoltaic power generation with ecosystem restoration.

Looking ahead, Lei emphasized the importance of strengthening international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. He mentioned that China seeks to advance the integration of desertification control and industrial development and work with countries around the world to build a global community dedicated to combating desertification and promoting sustainable development through platforms such as the China-Africa Green Technology Park demonstration project – a collaborative desertification control and sustainable agriculture demonstration project located in Bir El Barka, Mauritania, that is designed to transform harsh desert environments into sustainable green zones using Chinese sand-fixing, water-saving, and dryland farming techniques and technologies.

Xu Yinlong, research fellow at the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), delivers a keynote speech during the dialogue.

Xu Yinlong, research fellow at the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), remarked in a keynote speech that global warming has caused the frequency and intensity of extreme climate events in China to reach record levels and that this phenomenon exposes agricultural production to increasingly severe climate-related risks and underscores the urgent necessity of strengthening climate change adaptation efforts.

He also observed that climate warming is enabling the cultivation areas of China's major crops to expand northward and westward and that this creates new opportunities to optimize the country's agricultural production structure. Xu added that the adoption of low-carbon agricultural techniques and technologies can improve the quality of agricultural products and that this offers a practical pathway toward high-quality and sustainable agricultural development in addition to enhancing carbon sequestration and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

An excerpt from a report corresponding with the dialogue known as Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation: 2026 Climate Resilience was distributed at the event as well. The full report is scheduled to be released in September.

Zheng Wenhua, deputy head of the CIIC, introduces the Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation: 2026 Climate Resilience report.

Zheng Wenhua, deputy head of the CIIC, mentioned that the report was developed with support from Phase II (2024–2030) of the Global South-South Development Center (GSSDC) Project – a flagship initiative of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), in partnership with CICETE – and is being jointly edited by the five organizing institutions and prepared in collaboration with leading Chinese experts from the CAAS's Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, the Beijing University of Agriculture, the School of Landscape Architecture at Beijing Forestry University, and other partner institutions.

A group photo at the Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation: 2026 Climate Resilience and Green Transition Dialogue event venue.

The report will be published in both Chinese and English and will feature approximately 10 case studies highlighting innovative, technology-driven approaches to strengthening climate resilience and supporting green transformation in rural communities. It argues that China has currently achieved a shift in green and low-carbon development and climate resilience – from fragmentation to coordination, from single-sector approaches to systemic governance, and from passive response to proactive prevention – effectively addressing governance shortcomings, such as a previous emphasis on mitigation over adaptation and on development over security. A crucial undertaking, coordinating the advancement of climate resilience building with green and low-carbon transition is an important pillar for the agricultural and rural sectors in responding to climate change, ensuring food security, and achieving sustainable development.

A panel discussion titled "How Climate Resilience Safeguards the Future of Rural Areas" is conducted at the event.

The event included a panel discussion titled "How Climate Resilience Safeguards the Future of Rural Areas" and another titled "Low-Carbon Transition as a New Engine for Inclusive Rural Growth."

A panel discussion titled "Low-Carbon Transition as a New Engine for Inclusive Rural Growth" is conducted at the event.

Mohamed Abdellahi El Vilaly, ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania to China, delivers his closing remarks.

In his closing remarks, Mohamed Abdellahi El Vilaly, ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania to China, noted that since the late 1960s, Mauritania has faced severe drought and desertification, with profound consequences for rangelands, agriculture, and rural livelihoods. He emphasized that the transition to a low-carbon economy can serve as a powerful driver of inclusive rural development through the promotion of sustainable agriculture, improved natural resource management, and expanded access to clean energy.

"China-Africa cooperation projects implemented in Mauritania have set a benchmark for green development across Africa, helping to share China's valuable experience and expertise in combating desertification throughout the continent," he said. "The experiences of Mauritania and China in combating desertification and promoting green development demonstrate that genuine cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and expertise can transform environmental challenges into meaningful opportunities for development and prosperity."

Some of the people who attended the Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation: 2026 Climate Resilience and Green Transition Dialogue in person also visited an Ant Forest project site located in Jinta County in order to observe Haloxylon (saxaul)–Cistanche grafting and related desert-based industry development endeavors on the morning of June 5.

Some of the people who attended the Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation: 2026 Climate Resilience and Green Transition Dialogue in person examine Haloxylon (saxaul)-Cistanche grafting and related desert-based industry development endeavors at an Ant Forest project site in Jinta County on June 5.

Over the past 10 years, Ant Forest has encouraged 700 million people to adopt environmentally friendly lifestyles and has planted more than 600 million trees in ecologically fragile regions that require urgent restoration throughout China using sustained corporate funding. An innovative system for mobilizing public participation in environmental protection, Ant Forest has provided a Chinese solution for promoting green and sustainable development around the world and was awarded the United Nations' "Champions of the Earth" Award – the highest environmental honor granted by the UN.

On June 6, the attendees visit the 10,000-Mu Gobi Desert Agricultural Industrial Demonstration Park in Jiuquan's Suzhou District, an IFAD-supported project site.

On June 6, the attendees who went to the Ant Forest site in Jinta visited the 10,000-Mu Gobi Desert Agricultural Industrial Demonstration Park in Jiuquan's Suzhou District, an IFAD-supported project site, in order to learn more about innovative agricultural practices that support sustainable rural development in arid regions as well. The project is designed to modernize and upgrade facility agriculture in the Gobi Desert region through the systematic renovation of 682 greenhouses in the park that currently suffer from aging infrastructure and low production efficiency. It will also promote smart, automated, and standardized greenhouse production through a differentiated management approach based on facility classification.

IFAD supports ongoing and newly launched projects that enhance the application of climate-adaptive technologies in specialty agricultural industries and strengthen inclusiveness for vulnerable groups in rural Gansu. It promotes greater green energy deployment, rural waste and wastewater treatment, and agricultural waste recycling, contributing to rural vitalization and sustainable development while offering demonstration models that can be widely replicated.