The Chongqing Luhai International Communication Foundation hosted the China-Africa Forum for the Exchange of Ecological Civilizations on Wednesday at the Confucius Institute of the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university. The forum brought together senior officials, diplomats, environmentalists and scientists to promote dialogue on ecological cooperation. Alongside the event, a photo exhibition entitled "City of Eagles" featuring the city of Chongqing in southwest China was also on display.
The highlight of the programme was the launch of a nature observation programme aimed at strengthening cooperation between Chinese and African youth in promoting environmental sustainability. Njoroge Muchiri, the deputy governor of Nairobi county government, said the metropolis would like to support exchanges with China in its efforts to reclaim green spaces and rivers. He mentioned that during his recent trip to China, he observed the remarkable conservation efforts along the Yangtze River, which is a vital artery for the country.
"We are working with the Chinese government and Chinese investors on a large-scale programme to restore Nairobi's rivers," Muchiri said. "With this, we will be able to create ecosystems that existed before."
Nevile Agesa, a project manager with the Mara Conservation Fund, a wildlife conservation organisation based in southwest Kenya, said the partnership with Chinese entities has strengthened the protection of habitats affected by the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
The Mayor of Chongqing also spoke at the event, which aimed to strengthen exchanges with Kenyan institutions and the public on ecology and sustainability Hu Henghua.
"We are ready to use this platform to work with African partners to share expertise and best practices in urban sustainability, clean energy development, wildlife conservation and cultural heritage restoration," Hu said.
Guo Haiyan, China's ambassador to Kenya, stressed that Beijing attaches great importance to global environmental health, noting that cooperation with Kenya has strengthened the protection of natural resources.
She noted that Chinese enterprises based in Kenya have adopted environmentally friendly practices in the implementation of flagship projects such as the 480km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway. Guo added that the "Partnership Action for Green Development", one of the ten partnership actions announced at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2024, reaffirms China's commitment to supporting the transition to green energy and biodiversity conservation in Africa.
CMG/gnews.cz-jav
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