NAIROBI, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The UN Environment and the Chinese Academy of Sciences on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote water and environment conservation in developing countries.

Liu Jian, director of science division and chief scientist at UN Environment, told Xinhua in Nairobi that cooperation will be done to encourage South-South cooperation.

"The purpose of this MoU is to provide a framework of cooperation and understanding, and to facilitate collaboration between the parties to further their shared goals and objectives in regard to the training and joint research programs to assist and provide solutions for the developing world in the field of water and environment, based on a South-South cooperation approach," Liu said on the sidelines of the second global session of the UN Science, Policy and Business Forum on the environment.

Liu said the agreement will remain in force through December 2023.

Qu Jiuhui, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the two parties have also agreed on joint research on atmospheric environmental strategy, technology and its application in developing countries.

The parties will hold regular bilateral meetings for the purpose of developing and monitoring collaborative projects, he said.

"Such meetings shall take place at least once every three months to discuss technical and operational issues related to furthering the objectives of the MoU," Qu added.