Beijing, December 8 (IANS). COP-16 of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification held its Mayors Forum on 6 December. Local officials from several countries discussed how governments can address land degradation, desertification and water scarcity, focusing on urban-rural cooperation and promoting sustainable land management.
Annalaudia Rosbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, delivered the opening remarks via video. He stressed that local governments are key in addressing migration pressures, food security and water scarcity. The COP-16 Forum brought together local leaders, promoting innovation, collaboration and sharing of successful practices.
During the forum, Jirimuthu, vice mayor of Ordos city in China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, spoke about the challenges facing his city, which is located in an ecologically fragile area characterized by desert.
He pointed out that in recent years, Ordos City has implemented orderly governance, innovated with photovoltaic energy solutions, promoted scientific management practices and strengthened diversified governance. As a result, the city has made significant progress, changing from a situation where “the sand is moving forward and the people are retreating”, to one where “greenery is moving forward and the sand is retreating.”
(Courtesy- China Media Group, Beijing)
–IANS
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