Page 48 - Bulletin, Vol.83 No.1, April 2024

GREAT GREEN WALL

By Jocelyne DÉRUAZ

The Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel, commonly known as the Great
Green Wall (GGW), is the African Union's flagship initiative to combat the effects of
climate change and desertification in Africa. Officially launched in January 2007, the
initiative aims to transform the lives of millions of people by creating a mosaic of green
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and productive ecosystems in North Africa, the Sahel and the Horn of Africa . Initially
conceived as a long corridor 15 km wide, it spans 7,800 km across the African
continent, passing through 11 countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan), which have pledged to devote
10% of their GDP to agriculture.
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This wall should link Dakar (Senegal) to Djibouti by 2030; the figures for this ambitious
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initiative are staggering: it will represent around 117,000 km , or 11.7 million hectares.

Route of the Great Green Wall

This initiative is supported by numerous regional and international organisations,
including the FAO, UNEP, UNDP, the European Union, UNCCD (United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification), the World Bank, etc.

The concept of the Great Green Wall has evolved considerably over the years. Lessons
learned from the Algerian Green Dam and the Chinese Green Wall have led to a better
understanding of the need for a multi-sectoral approach to achieve sustainable results.

AAFI-AFICS BULLETIN, Vol. 83 No.1, 2024-04 47

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