“The Great Green Wall” (la grande muraglia verde) is the project proposed in 2005 by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to combat desertification.
Stretching nearly eight thousand kilometers and fifteen wide, the Great Green Wall crosses the African continent from Senegal to the Indian Ocean.
The ambitious project began in 2008, with Senegal taking the lead by planting numerous trees along a strip over 530 kilometers long.
The concept of the Great Green Wall has evolved into a mosaic of interventions aimed at addressing the challenges faced by populations in regions like the Sahel and Sahara. The ultimate goal is to strengthen ecosystems, protect rural heritage, and improve the living conditions of the population.
It was the African Union that launched the project in 2007, immediately supported
by the UN and funded by the World Bank and other local and international organizations, totaling approximately three billion dollars.
At the last United Nations climate conference held in Marrakech last November, FAO presented a report (“Building Africa’s Great Green Wall”), featuring a map that outlines the intervention areas along the Great Green Wall, collecting data on land use in arid African regions. This map will be used to plan climate change resilience interventions.
Also from FAO, another study indicates that to halt soil degradation, the rehabilitation of 10 million hectares per year is necessary. This outcome could decisively contribute to achieving some of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
