Chinese Tech Helps Central Asia Tackle Water Scarcity

Chinese Tech Helps Central Asia Tackle Water Scarcity

Introduction

Agriculture is an important part of the comprehensive cooperation between China and Central Asian countries, as highlighted by the China-Central Asia Smart Agriculture Industry Technology Exchange Event in Jinan, Shandong province in east China, on October 15.

Smart Agriculture and Sustainable Development Goals

Yang Xuemei, deputy director-general of China Science and Technology Exchange Center, stated that smart agriculture can help improve agricultural productivity, reduce resource consumption, protect the ecological environment, and is an inevitable trend of the world’s agricultural development.

The cooperation between China and Central Asian countries in the field of smart agriculture can not only contribute to sharing of advanced agricultural technologies, but also promote the innovation of regional agricultural development, thereby empowering both sides to tackle common and urgent problems.

The Aral Sea Crisis and China’s Experience

Due to climate change and mismanagement of water resources, the Aral Sea in Central Asia, the third largest lake in the world, has shrunk dramatically over the past six decades and is now on the verge of drying up. Many environmental and social problems resulting from the drying of the Aral Sea, such as desertification, salinization, and impoverishment, have become international concerns.

Since Central Asia is a close neighbor of China, and also the core of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the New Eurasian Land Bridge, China’s experience in combating desertification can offer a solution.

Lan Yubin, professor of precision agriculture at the Shandong University of Technology, and an academician of the European Academy of Sciences Arts and Letters, suggested applying China’s experience in the prevention and treatment of desertification and salinization, as well as the concept of integrated river basin management, to help Central Asia safeguard the ecological security of the Aral Sea.

Establishment of China-Central Asia Exchange and Cooperation Research Center

At the Jinan event, the China-Central Asia Exchange and Cooperation Research Center, a think tank, was established. The Shandong Analysis and Test Center also signed a research cooperation agreement with the Tashkent State Technical University to develop smart agriculture.

Common Challenges and Practical Cooperation

Experts from research organizations and universities discussed the common challenges facing both regions, such as saline and alkaline land management and development, water-saving irrigation, and pest control. The aim is to accelerate practical cooperation between China and Central Asia and jointly contribute to the development of high-quality agricultural science and technology.

Uranebk Shergaziev, vice president of the Central Asia State Agricultural University, emphasized that the point of developing agriculture is to benefit farmers and improve the welfare of all people. Cooperation with China is an efficient way to achieve this.

China’s Contribution to Water Scarcity Solutions

Water scarcity is an acute problem in Central Asia. China’s membrane drip irrigation, micro-irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, and infiltration irrigation technologies are relatively mature and have been exported to Kyrgyzstan. In 2018, China undertook an irrigation system renovation project in Kyrgyzstan, which included the construction, maintenance, renovation, and expansion of irrigation canals and subsidiary structures. The project increased the irrigated area in Kyrgyzstan by 2,310 hectares, improved the water supply for 11,100 hectares of irrigated land, and benefited 20,000 people. It also promoted the development of plantations and livestock farming along the route, improving the living standards of local people.

Conclusion

The China-Central Asia Smart Agriculture Industry Technology Exchange Event highlights the importance of agriculture in the comprehensive cooperation between China and Central Asian countries. By leveraging China’s experience and advanced agricultural technologies, both regions can address common challenges and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Source: Science and Technology Daily

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 15: Life on Land
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
• SDG 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.
• SDG 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.
• SDG 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land-degradation-neutral world.
• SDG 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South, and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology, and innovation and enhance knowledge-sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, particularly at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 2.4: Agricultural productivity, resource consumption, and ecological environment improvement.
• Indicator for SDG 6.4: Water-use efficiency, water scarcity reduction, and improved water supply.
• Indicator for SDG 13.3: Education, awareness, and capacity-building on climate change.
• Indicator for SDG 15.3: Combating desertification, restoring degraded land, and achieving land-degradation neutrality.
• Indicator for SDG 17.6: Enhanced cooperation, access to technology and innovation, and knowledge-sharing.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: stdaily.com