Restoring Life and Abundance in the Sahara: The Great Green Wall of Africa

🌱The Great Green Wall project aims to stop the expansion of the Sahara Desert and create a barrier of trees across the entire width of Africa.

🌍The project uses innovative techniques such as half-moon water harvesting structures and tree planting to restore degraded land and bring back vegetation.

🌳Trees are a vital component of the project, providing biomass, preventing soil erosion, and supporting the local ecosystem.

🌧️Water management plays a crucial role in the project, with strategies like water harvesting structures ensuring the retention of rainwater and recharge of groundwater tables.

👨‍🌾The project has not only restored the land but also improved livelihoods by creating employment opportunities and reducing migration.

What is the Great Green Wall project?

—The Great Green Wall project is an initiative led by the World Food Program to plant a barrier of trees across Africa and stop the southern expansion of the Sahara Desert.

How does the project restore degraded land?

—The project uses techniques such as half-moon water harvesting structures and tree planting to improve soil quality, prevent erosion, and bring back vegetation to degraded landscapes.

What are the benefits of planting trees in the project?

—Trees provide numerous benefits, including biomass production, prevention of soil erosion, support for the local ecosystem, and the creation of shade and shelter for other plant and animal species.

Why is water management important in the project?

—Water management plays a crucial role in the project to ensure the retention of rainwater and recharge of groundwater tables, creating a balance of water resources and supporting vegetation growth.

How has the project improved livelihoods?

—The project has improved livelihoods by creating employment opportunities through the restoration of degraded land, reducing the need for migration, and allowing communities to thrive through food production.

00:00The Great Green Wall project aims to stop the expansion of the Sahara Desert and create a barrier of trees across Africa.

02:01The Sagal River serves as a natural border between the Sahara and the Sahel, making it an important location for the project.

03:39Water harvesting structures, such as half-moons, are used to retain rainwater and support vegetation growth.

05:46The project has successfully restored 300,000 hectares of land, with the aim of creating a mosaic of forests that will protect the Sahel from the encroachment of the Sahara Desert.

08:43The project has not only restored the land but also improved livelihoods by creating employment opportunities and reducing migration.