UN’s Great Green Wall project aims to combat climate change effects in the Sahel region

UN Initiates “Great Green Wall” to Combat Climate Change in the Sahel

The United Nations Convention against Desertification has launched a significant initiative aimed at addressing climate change in Africa by creating a “Great Green Wall” spanning 8,000 kilometers from Djibouti to Ethiopia, reports 24brussels.

This ambitious project seeks to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, capture 250 million metric tons of carbon, and create 10 million green jobs by 2030, according to data released by the UN.

Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), emphasized the escalating impact of climate change on Africa, particularly affecting the most vulnerable populations and exacerbating food insecurity, displacements, and water resource challenges. Taalas highlighted recent devastating floods, an invasion of desert locusts, and the impending threat of drought linked to the La Niña climate pattern, all intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The overarching goal of this initiative is to enhance the resilience of affected communities and improve their living conditions, which are increasingly jeopardized by climate change pressures.

Significant progress has already been made. In Senegal, around 12 million trees have been planted in under a decade, while the UN reports that 5 million hectares of land have been restored. Niger has seen an annual increase of 500,000 tons in cereal production, and Ethiopia has rehabilitated 15 million hectares of degraded land.

Mirey Atallah, coordinator of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), remarked on the transformative effects of the initiative on lives across Africa, particularly in conflict-affected regions, and noted its effectiveness in restoring landscapes threatened by climate change.

The Sahel encompasses territories including Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Djibouti, and Eritrea. The collaboration among these nations aims to jointly combat desertification, a significant threat to the region.

Looking ahead, in addition to the Sahel initiative, the UN anticipates that the African Union will expand efforts to address similar challenges in the southern regions of the continent.