Great Green Wall to help African communities and fight desertification

Perhaps one of the most ambitious green projects ever attempted, the ‘Great Green Wall’ is a 4,300 mile long, 9 mile wide corridor of trees, or at least it will be when complete. It will stretch from Senegal in the west to Djibouti in the east and it is hoped the project will reduce desertification and reduce the effect of dust storms, which are on the increase in the resource stretched continent.

The project is not just a pipe-dream. The World Bank has committed $1.8 billion towards the project which has also been complemented by a $108 million from the Global Environment Facility, and there is a real excitement in some quarters that the project could help local communities.

The Sahel is one of the most threatened parts of Africa. A combination of climate change and pressure over land from a fast growing population has made desertification a huge local problem. The climate is definitely changing, with seasonal rains coming months later than usual. Adapting to this will be crucial for the peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa to cope.

Trees could be part of the answer. As well as preventing desertification, they can act as an important resource for communities and wildlife and may help to bring more water to some regions.

Jean- Marc Sinnassamy, a programme officer with the Global Environment Facility says, "We do not finance a tree planting initiative, it's more related to agriculture, rural development, food security and sustainable land management than planting trees."

There are a number of challenges to overcome however. Eleven countries span the length of the wall, and although they are all said to be keen on the project, the logistical and political problems are self evident. Senegal is currently furthest along in the process, having planted 50,000 acres of trees, and there is concern that other regions may not be as successful. Indeed there have been many failed tree planting projects in the region.

The difference here it is thought, is that much thought is going in to how each stretch of the corridor will interact with the local climate, people and soil. The types of treesz are being carefully selected to offer as much as possible to the local people, while at the same time being suited to the specific location they are being planted in.

There have been successful replanting projects in the region before as well. In Niger for example, changes in farming practices in the 1980’s has led to 12 million acres of new trees and a surplus of food in the region. It is still to early to say if the Great Green Wall will be a success or a great white elephant.