Tackling Desertification: The Great Green Wall Project’s 17-Year Effort to Revitalize Africa’s Sahel Region with 7.7 Million Hectares Restored and 18% Complete in 2023

The Great Green Wall project, an ambitious initiative aimed at combating desertification and promoting reforestation in Africa, has been ongoing for the past 17 years. With over 7.7 million hectares of land restored across the continent, the project has successfully regrown trees and crops on a scale larger than California.

The goal of the project is to create 10 million jobs and reduce 250 million tons of carbon by 2030. Deforestation in West Africa has significantly reduced forest cover since 1975, leading to soil erosion, reduced fertility, and loss of biodiversity. In response, more than a dozen African countries have joined forces to re-green the semi-arid Sahel region.

Despite facing challenges such as poor tree survival rates, difficulties in caring for trees in remote areas, and lack of involvement from local indigenous communities, some countries have achieved success with small-scale projects initiated by farmers. Techniques such as farmer-managed natural regeneration and traditional planting methods have shown positive results. Drones and satellites are now being used to monitor reclaimed land and tree populations with the support of organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

In 2023, the United Nations Development Program reported that the Great Green Wall project was 18% complete, with over 7.7 million hectares of land restored and 350,000 jobs created. Efforts are ongoing to continue re-greening the Sahel region and combat desertification in Africa.