The planting of 4 billion indigenous trees.
The Great Green Wall is an African led initiative to create a vast 8,000 km of natural woodland across Africa. The project started in 2007 and today is fifteen percent underway.
( Image shows Chad in the green season)
Aims of the project
- Regenerate degraded landscapes so they become fertile land
- providing jobs, food and security for millions of inhabitants along its route – so giving hope against poverty
- by enabling communities to survive and flourish, consequently combating the imminent global threats of climate change, famine, drought and migration
- to improved health for the poorest countries
- and sustainable energy for communities
- finally, gender equality giving women empowerment with fresh opportunities.
Improving the lives the poorest people
From it’s roots in the Sahel region of Africa, on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, this massive project is at the heart of one of the poorest regions in the world. It’s here that the millions of locals encounter the stark impact of climate change.
- Food is scarce because of persistent droughts
- there are many conflicts over reduced natural resources
- consequently many people are forced to migrate to Europe in search of a better life.
But it’s not just about the Sahel region, across Africa from Djibouti to Senegal, communities are fighting back. The land has become alive again bringing jobs, stability and improvements to the security and quality of food.
The Great Green Wall is a symbol of hope which brings together twenty plus countries: Chad, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Benin, Djibouti, Cape Verde, Libya, Mali, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Somalia, Niger, Senegal, Tunisia, Sudan and The Gambia. Yes, it’s about growing trees and plants but it’s also about transforming the lives of millions of people along the way.
School children in Zakouma – the Great Green Wall is a symbol of peace and hope
“The Great Green Wall makes a vital contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – A global agenda which aims to achieve a more equitable and sustainable world by 2030.” (greatgreenwall.org)
On completion, the Great Green Wall will be three times larger than the Great Barrier Reef making it the largest living structure on earth. Part of an agenda globally for a sustainable and equitable world by 2030.
