As the United Nations celebrates its 80th anniversary, a striking series of images from across China, captured between 2021 and 2024, highlights how local efforts address global challenges—from climate change to poverty alleviation. These five snapshots reveal a nation in transformation.
At 6,282 meters in Qinghai’s Maqen County, the Amne Machin range—one of the four sacred peaks in Xizang culture—faces rapidly shrinking glaciers. April 2024 photographs document receding ice, underscoring the urgency behind the UN’s call for stronger climate action.
Meanwhile, sun-drenched slopes in several provinces now host sprawling solar arrays, powering communities with clean energy and driving economic opportunities in once-remote regions.
In reclaimed desert areas, large-scale greening initiatives battle soil degradation and revive biodiversity, turning sandy expanses into productive green belts that sustain farming and local livelihoods.
Once-isolated mountain villages have embraced eco-tourism, with renovated guesthouses and guided treks bringing cultural exchange, new income streams and a renewed sense of hope.
Across the country, infrastructure investments in roads, schools and health clinics mark a remarkable journey from poverty to prosperity, reflecting a commitment to human development in line with the UN’s mission.
Together, these stories from glaciers to deserts and villages offer powerful testaments to community-driven resilience, renewal and the shared goal of a sustainable, equitable future.
Reference(s):
China's changing landscapes: resilience, renewal and the UN's mission
cgtn.com
