Chinese and African leaders agreed on Sunday they will intensify
cooperation in environment protection, share experiences and boost
sustainable development on both sides.
China and Africa resolved to promote dialogue and exchanges in
environmental protection and cooperation in human resources
development, according to an action plan for bilateral cooperation
in the coming three years, endorsed at the two-day Beijing Summit
of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
China will train more environmental protection administrators
and experts for African countries in the coming three years and the
number of trainees will be increasing year on year, the document
says without giving details.
Meanwhile, the two sides will step up cooperation in capacity
building, prevention and control of water pollution and
desertification, maintenance of bio-diversity and the development
of environmental protection industry and demonstration projects, it
says.
They will also work with the United Nations Environment Program
for multilateral cooperation in the environment sector.
"China, whose environment suffered considerably in its rapid
economic development over the past decades, wishes Africa would
learn from its lessons and is willing to share with Africa its
recent experience in environment protection," said Zhang Shigang,
China's deputy permanent representative to the UNEP, in an
interview with Xinhua in Nairobi last month.
He said China has, through many years of research, established a
set of environment protection schemes that are suitable for the
situation of developing countries. "The prices for Chinese
technologies and equipment are also more reasonable."
Zhang was backed by Sekou Toure, director of UNEP's regional
office in Africa, who said China's experience and lessons in
environment protection is useful.
There is a misconception among many people that environmental
protection is costly, said Toure. "For example, if you don't treat
the waste water and discharge it into the river, you create all
kinds of water-born diseases. In the end, you'll have to pay for
it. It is 10 times cheaper to invest in environment than trying to
treat the diseases."
The Chinese government has pledged to actively promote
China-Africa cooperation in climate change, water resources
conservation, anti-desertification bio-diversity and other areas of
environmental protection by facilitating technological
exchange.
The country organized two training seminars on water pollution
and water resources conservation for African senior environment
officials in September 2005 and January 2006, training 47 officials
from the continent.
Africa contributes only about 3 percent of the world's climate
change emissions yet it is arguably the most vulnerable to climate
change.
"Africa has realized that 'environment has no frontier' and it
is the biggest victim of a deteriorating environment. It is also
willing to join the global action of environment protection," said
Zhang.
Meanwhile, he said Africa's environment-friendly practices are
also helpful to China, such as Kenya's comprehensive laws and
mechanism of protecting wildlife.
The Beijing Summit, the highest-profile gathering between
Chinese and African leaders, concluded Sunday afternoon after two
historic documents, a declaration and an action plan for 2007-2009,
had been adopted.
(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2006)