Africa’s Great Green Wall (GGW) program to combat desertification in the Sahel region is an important contribution towards combating climate change, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a study.

Note the countries swept by the GGW project on the African map.

About GGW Program

• The Great Green Wall project is conceived by 11 countries located along the southern border of the Sahara and their international partners, is aimed at limiting the desertification of the Sahel zone.
• Led by the African Union, the initiative aims to transform the lives of millions of people by creating a mosaic of green and productive landscapes across North Africa.
• The initial idea of the GGW was to develop a line of trees from east to the west bordering the Saharan Desert.
• Its vision has evolved into that of a mosaic of interventions addressing the challenges facing the people in the Sahel and the Sahara.

Why was such project incepted?

• The project is a response to the combined effect of natural resources degradation and drought in rural areas.
• It aimed to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030; only four million hectares had been restored between 2007 and 2019.
• It is a partnership that supports communities working towards sustainable management and use of forests, rangelands and other natural resources.
• It seeks to help communities mitigate and adapt to climate change, as well as improve food security.

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