What Is The Great Green Wall and Is It Working?

The Great Green Wall is an African-led initiative aiming to address land degradation across the continent. Its purpose is to restore arid landscapes and improve human livelihoods in the Sahel region, an area facing significant environmental and socio-economic pressures. The project aims to create a mosaic of green and productive landscapes, providing greater stability for the millions of people who depend on the land for their survival.

Origins of a Green Ambition

The Great Green Wall arose from an escalating crisis in Africa’s Sahel region. For decades, this semi-arid belt south of the Sahara has experienced desertification and land degradation. These issues are driven by climate change and human activities, including the overexploitation of resources, unsustainable farming, and population growth. These factors are compounded by more frequent and intense droughts.

Severe droughts between 1968 and 1984 caused the Sahara Desert to expand southward by an estimated 10%, turning productive land barren. The resulting famines created a “hunger belt,” leading to the loss of livestock for many pastoral communities and claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. This environmental collapse triggered widespread food insecurity and acute water shortages.

Land degradation directly undermined the livelihoods of millions dependent on small-scale farming and pastoralism, costing some Sahelian countries up to 20% of their annual GDP. This economic strain and resource scarcity have fueled conflicts and forced migration. By 2020, over 2.5 million people had been internally displaced across the Sahel as communities abandoned their homes in search of land and water.

Defining the Great Green Wall

In response, the African Union launched the Great Green Wall initiative in 2007. The project is implemented in over 20 countries, with a core group of 11 nations from Senegal to Djibouti. It is steered by the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall, which coordinates efforts among nations and partners. Rather than a literal wall of trees, the initiative is an 8,000-kilometer mosaic of restored ecosystems.

The project has ambitious targets for 2030, with the central goal being the restoration of 100 million hectares of degraded land across the Sahel. The initiative is not just an environmental project but also a comprehensive rural development program.

Beyond land restoration, the project aims for significant climate and economic benefits. A primary objective is to sequester 250 million tons of carbon, contributing to global climate change mitigation. The initiative also seeks to create 10 million green jobs in rural areas. These jobs would emerge from restoration, sustainable agriculture, and natural resource management, providing new economic opportunities for the region’s young population.

Methods of Restoration and Growth

The Great Green Wall’s implementation relies on diverse land management techniques, not just tree planting. A central strategy is agroforestry, which integrates trees and shrubs into agricultural landscapes. This approach improves soil fertility, reduces erosion, and allows communities to cultivate crops alongside trees that provide food, fodder, and other resources.

Water conservation is fundamental in the arid Sahel. Communities are reviving traditional techniques like “zai” pits and “half-moons,” which are small ditches that capture rainwater for seedlings. These methods are often combined with stone bunds, which are lines of stones placed along land contours to slow runoff, increase water infiltration, and trap fertile sediment.

Plant species are selected for harsh local conditions. The project prioritizes native, drought-resistant species that provide direct benefits to local populations. Examples include the Baobab (Adansonia digitata), known for its vitamin C-rich fruit, and the Gum Acacia (Senegalia senegal), which produces a commercially valuable gum. This focus on useful, resilient species helps ensure community buy-in and the long-term sustainability of the project.

Current Status and Obstacles

More than a decade after its launch, the Great Green Wall has made progress but remains far from its 2030 targets. Approximately 20 million hectares of land have been restored, about 20% of the overall goal. For example, Senegal successfully reforested over 57,000 hectares between 2008 and 2021 by planting more than 15 million seedlings.

The initiative faces obstacles that have slowed its momentum. Funding gaps are a primary challenge, with a shortfall between pledged and disbursed amounts. In 2021, a Great Green Wall Accelerator was launched to mobilize $19 billion, but coordinating and deploying these funds remains a complex task.

Political instability and security issues in several Sahelian countries are another barrier, making restoration work difficult and dangerous. The project has also struggled with inconsistent monitoring and evaluation. Without harmonized data collection, it is difficult to accurately track progress or verify the extent of land restoration reported by different countries.

Projected Transformations

The successful completion of the Great Green Wall promises to transform the Sahel. Environmentally, restoring 100 million hectares of land would combat desertification, improve soil health, and increase water availability. This regreening would also enhance biodiversity by restoring habitats and build climate resilience in a region where temperatures are rising faster than the global average.

The socio-economic impacts would be profound. Improved land productivity and the cultivation of diverse plant species would enhance food security for millions currently facing hunger. Access to more nutritious food sources could also lead to better health outcomes.

By improving resource availability and creating economic opportunities, the initiative addresses root causes of conflict and migration. Providing people with the means to thrive on their land reduces the need for displacement. The Great Green Wall is envisioned as a foundation for peace, stability, and prosperity across the Sahel.