Scholars, officials expect more Belt and Road cooperation for green development

URUMQI -- Scholars and officials from China, Central Asia and other parts of the world have called for more Belt and Road cooperation to promote regional and global green development.

They made the remarks during the International Forum on Sustainable Development of Ecology and Environment in the Silk Road Economic Belt which kicked off here on Monday, with over 300 participants from 17 countries and international organizations attending the event.

David Cooper, acting executive secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said via video that incorporating biodiversity considerations into the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) "is not only a good idea, it is the only sustainable option."

Cooper said the initiative could revolutionize global trade, enhance cultural exchange and even decrease poverty. He added that the initiative should be evaluated not only "by increased trade and economic development, but also by its impact on our environment and the conservation of the planet's ecological diversity."

The BRI has been a platform of cooperation for a decade, said Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. "Joint research ventures, laboratories and a thriving Silk Road of innovation represent significant milestones."

"Through regional cooperation, we aspire to translate research into actionable solutions, transforming our vision of a more sustainable, innovative, and resilient Silk Road into reality," he said.

Komiljon Tojibaev, director of the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, told Xinhua that the BRI has become a substantial international platform for economic, science and biodiversity conservation cooperation.

Stressing that China and Uzbekistan are both active in biodiversity research, Tojibaev noted that when the two sides combine their efforts, "We can be successful in saving biodiversity and our green planet, and even foster closer relations in tackling climate change and deforestation."

Strengthening cooperation in ecological and environmental research between China and Kyrgyzstan holds excellent prospects, said Kanatbek Abdrakhmatov, president of the National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan, in an interview with Xinhua.

He elaborated that in recent years, China and Central Asian countries like Kyrgyzstan have increasingly collaborated in ecological protection and earthquake monitoring.

Due to human activities, many species have disappeared from the Earth, and all parties need to enhance cooperation in ecological and environmental protection to "leave a green and sustainable environment for future generations," Abdrakhmatov added.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI. The forum aims to share research achievements and explore new cooperation possibilities, regionally and globally, in biodiversity conservation, green agriculture, sustainable use of water resources and ecological governance.