Dialogue highlights role of technology in climate-resilient rural development

The Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation: 2026 Climate Resilience and Green Transition Dialogue was held Friday and Saturday in Jinta county, Gansu province, to explore how science and technology can help rural communities adapt to climate change and advance green development.

Coinciding with World Environment Day on Friday, the event focused on strengthening climate resilience in rural areas, accelerating low-carbon agricultural development and sharing practical experiences that can be adapted by developing countries.

A key outcome of the event was the release of excerpts from a forthcoming bilingual report, Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation: 2026 Climate Resilience, scheduled for publication in September. The report will feature about 10 case studies highlighting technology-driven approaches to climate adaptation and green transition in rural communities.

According to the organizers, the report argues that China has increasingly integrated climate resilience, green development and rural vitalization through more coordinated governance, proactive risk prevention and broader adoption of low-carbon technologies.

Participants highlighted China's experience in combating desertification, restoring ecosystems and improving rural livelihoods through scientific innovation.

In a keynote speech, desertification expert Lei Jiaqiang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said China has pioneered development models that combine ecological restoration with economic growth, citing technologies such as straw checkerboard sand barriers, water-efficient afforestation and desert-based industries.

Agricultural climate expert Xu Yinlong of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences warned that increasingly frequent extreme weather events are raising risks to food production, underscoring the need for climate-adaptive farming technologies and low-carbon agricultural practices.

Mohamed Abdellahi El Vilaly, Mauritania's ambassador to China, said the dialogue highlighted the importance of turning environmental challenges into development opportunities.

Mauritania has faced severe drought and desertification for decades, affecting agriculture, rangelands and rural livelihoods.

China-Africa cooperation projects in Mauritania have helped share practical experience in combating desertification and promoting green development across the continent, he said.

The dialogue also featured panel discussions on climate resilience and inclusive rural growth, with participants emphasizing the importance of international cooperation, technology transfer and South-South collaboration.

Delegates visited an Ant Forest ecological restoration project in Jinta, where they observed desert rehabilitation efforts combining Haloxylon tree planting with medicinal plant cultivation.

On Saturday, participants toured an IFAD-supported agricultural demonstration park in Jiuquan, Gansu, that is modernizing greenhouse production in the Gobi Desert through automation and smart technologies.

The dialogue was jointly organized by the China Internet Information Center, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Representation in China, the International Fund for Agricultural Development China Office, the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and the United Nations Development Programme in China.