ULAN BATOR, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A ceremony to hand over equipment for a forest firefighting project, supported by the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, was held in Ulan Bator, capital of Mongolia, on Wednesday.

The event was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia Shen Minjuan, Matilda Dimovska, UNDP resident representative to Mongolia, and Byambasuren Oyunsanaa, head of the Forestry Department of the Mongolian government, and other relevant officials.

In her remarks, Shen emphasized the significance of the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, describing it as a vital platform for implementing global development initiatives, which focus on poverty alleviation, disaster reduction, healthcare, and green development.

Noting that this project is the first one supported by the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund in Mongolia, Shen said the Chinese side is eager to build on this project and work with UN agencies to support Mongolia's economic growth and improvement of people's livelihoods.

Expressing Mongolia's gratitude to the Chinese government and people, Oyunsanaa underlined the growing challenges posed by climate change, which has led to frequent forest fires in Mongolia in recent years.

"The provision of advanced firefighting equipment is critical for our efforts to combat forest fires and protect thousands of hectares of land," Oyunsanaa said.

Dimovska acknowledged the critical role of forests in Mongolia's ecosystem, livelihoods, and biodiversity, saying the project would strengthen Mongolia's capacity to protect its forests and address climate change.

The firefighting equipment donated under this initiative includes walkie-talkies, water tanks, firefighting suits, backpack sprayers, first aid kits, and other essential tools. Enditem

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