The Great Green Wall

The Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI) is not exactly “a wall of trees” as its name might suggest. It is actually a mosaic of local farming projects designed to address a common problem: the desertification of the Sahel and the resulting degradation of the environment. Each country involved is thus free to follow the direction it considers most suitable for the protection of its territory and communities, ideating and implementing projects to fit in with the initiative.

At present, Senegal is the country that has made the greatest contribution to achieving the GGWSSI objective. Its action is not limited solely to the reforestation of degraded areas but also seeks to promote knowledge and competences suitable for sustainable land management and economic development. Priority is given to plant species, such as the acacia and the date palm, that can adapt specifically to the climate of the Sahel region and are, at the same time, useful for local populations.

Another positive example is to be found in Niger where in addition to the cultivation of produce for food and commerce, the “natural soil regeneration has become routine low-cost practice. Vegetation that has withered during periods of drought is recovered by revitalizing and irrigating the roots. In this way, trees and shrubs regrow and begin performing their functions again on their own. This method has made it possible to salvage five million hectares of vegetation and promote food security in the area. In Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, FAO also collaborates on the project, helping local communities to choose crops and practices suitable for local conditions. Despite the complexity of the enterprise, a sizable number of new jobs has been created with a consequent increase in the income of families, hence a contribution to the fight against poverty and to food security.