By Charlotte Corcoran
The phrase “Great Green Wall” tends to evoke a striking mental image: a sweeping arc of lush trees and greenery cutting across an otherwise arid landscape. That is precisely what the African Union envisioned in 2007 when they launched an ambitious plan to combat desertification in Africa’s Sahel region. Since its inception, the Great Green Wall has grown into one of the world’s greatest reforestation initiatives, aiming to restore over 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. Yet, the project has not been without its share of challenges–environmental, social, cultural, and political. With the self-imposed 2030 deadline fast approaching, the question remains: how will the Great Green Wall’s story unfold from here?
The Conception of the Great Green Wall
The idea of the Great Green Wall (GGW) emerged as a bold response to a growing crisis in Africa’s Sahel region. For centuries, outsiders misunderstood the arid landscape of North Africa, as a consequence of divine punishment or the “uncivilized” practices of its people. These colonial-era misconceptions persisted well into the modern age, only recently replaced by the recognition that climate change is responsible for the rapid expansion of the Sahara Desert. Since 1900, the desert has grown by roughly 10%, creating devastating dust storms and encroaching on fields and farmland below the Sahel that are central to the livelihoods of millions of Africans.
Launched in 2007 by the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the GGW represents one of the world’s most ambitious and comprehensive rural development initiatives. In addition to land restoration, the project aims to sequester 250 million metric tons of Carbon and create 10 million green-sector jobs by 2030. Stretching across 11 countries, from Djibouti in the east to Senegal in the west, the wall is envisioned as an 8,000-kilometer expanse of greenery interwoven with farmland and grassland. Advocates hope it will stabilize soil, increase precipitation, and lower surface temperatures, while also revitalizing local economies and reinforcing agricultural livelihoods. By tackling desertification at its roots, it seeks not only to restore degraded landscapes but to secure the future of millions reliant on the land for survival.
Challenges Facing the Project
The GGW faces formidable challenges that threaten many aspects of its ambitious vision. Chief among these is the persistent political instability in the Sahel, often referred to as Africa’s “Coup Belt”. Nearly a third of the region’s countries have experienced military insurgencies in recent years, and vast areas remain ungovernable due to the presence of terrorist organizations like Boko Haram and Ansar Dine.. These dynamics create a hostile environment for progress, deterring much-needed investment and complicating coordination among stakeholders. As of 2023, the project requires $4.3 billion USD annually to stay on track for its 2030 goal–a level of funding difficult to secure under such volatile conditions.
Environmental and climatic challenges compound the financial difficulties crucial to the development of the GGW. The Sahel’s increasingly erratic rainfall patterns and prolonged droughts, exacerbated by climate change, have devastated local livelihoods. In 2020 alone, over 220,000 people were displaced and 10,000 hectares of cropland were destroyed in Niger alone, underscoring the fragility of the region’s subsistence-based economies. Overgrazing, deforestation, and poor water management further degrade the landscape, leaving soil vulnerable to desertification and reducing the productivity of agricultural activity. These pressures have forced project leaders to adopt a more grassroots approach, engaging with local communities regarding reforestation and land restoration. Yet, even these efforts face setbacks: initial tree-planting campaigns saw survival rates as low as 20%, while introducing non-native species risks disrupting biodiversity and the migration routes of pastoralists.
Coordination and oversight also remain as critical weak points. Critics have highlighted “inadequate monitoring of already implemented initiatives” and a lack of cooperation between national governments, international organizations, and funding partners. Without the establishment of robust national agencies to track progress and ensure accountability, the project risks stagnation. Equally pressing is the need to address security concerns. For communities in the Sahel, rebuilding livelihoods hinges on a sense of safety. Without stability, local participation in restoration efforts–essential to the project’s success–will remain elusive.
The challenges faced by the GGW underscore the complexity of restoring the Sahel. While the vision of a “wall of trees” may inspire, the region’s intertwined social, ecological, and political problems demand a multifaceted approach that goes far beyond planting saplings.
Is Progress Truly Possible?
Despite significant obstacles, the GGW has made notable strides, through innovation, local engagement, and trial-and-error. Across the Sahel, grassroots techniques have emerged as vital tools in combating desertification. In Kollo, Niger, farmers have begun digging half-moon shaped ditches called zai pits that collect rainwater and direct it toward growing plants. Meanwhile, farmers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have implemented gaps in vegetation called “Firebreaks” that help prevent the spread of frequent and destructive bushfires.
Senegal has further illustrated the potential of localized approaches. Between 2008 and 2021, the country reforested over 57,000 hectares, planting more than 15 million seedlings. By prioritizing native, drought-resistant species, Senegal has shown how ecological restoration can align with the realities of arid climates. Such progress underscores a critical lesson for the GGW: integrating indigenous knowledge and involving local communities are essential to achieving sustainable results.
The GGW’s gradual shift toward a “dual-objective plan” reflects this evolving understanding. By pairing ecological restoration and sustainability with initiatives to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods, the project aims to address the interconnected challenges of environmental degradation and economic instability. While progress has been uneven, these examples of resilience and collaboration offer a glimpse of what the initiative might achieve with sustained effort and investment.
Adaptations to the Initial Plan and NGO Support
As the Great Green Wall (GGW) shifts from ambitious vision to actionable strategies, success increasingly relies on engaging local communities as the stewards of restoration. NGOs like Tree Aid have been pivotal in this transformation, shifting land governance back to local populations by cutting out the middlemen (larger organizations and financiers). Under CEO Tom Skirrow, the organization has protected over 167,000 hectares of land since 1987, primarily by educating communities about their land rights and training them with the necessary skills to sustain it. By planting species that thrive in arid conditions while providing food, medicine, or income, Tree Aid has helped ensure that restoration efforts align with the livelihoods of those who depend on the land.
Key species like the vitamin C-rich baobab (Adansonia digitata), the gum-producing gum acacia (Senegalia senegal), and tamarind (Tamarindus indica) exemplify this approach. On just 2,235 restored hectares, these trees now provide sustainable income for 32,000 people, demonstrating the tangible benefits of community-driven land management
This shift in strategy reflects a broader realization: the Great Green Wall must be more than just a “contiguous wall of trees”. With desert boundaries constantly shifting due to rainfall and human activity, restoration efforts must prioritize sustainability. Without this focus, trees may be cut down for fuel, fail to grow in the dry landscape, or even displace pastoral communities. As Amadou Diallo, manager of the AU’s GGW action plan, explains, “If you plant a tree without economic value, people will just cut it to make charcoal…but if they know that [it] can bring some revenue, they will keep it like God”.
The Great Green Wall Accelerator
By 2019, the GGW had faced significant obstacles, with progress stalling under the weight of social, economic, and environmental challenges. In response, the Great Green Wall Accelerator was unveiled at the Third One Planet Summit in Nairobi, with French President Emmanuel Macron announcing $14.3 billion of new funding for 2021-2025. This initiative seeks to refocus funding efforts on scaling up reforestation and rural development projects, ensuring resources reach the communities that need them most. .
Despite new funding and optimism, skepticism persists about mobilizing sufficient public and private investment in the program. Institutions like the World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Green Climate Fund have pledged support, while individuals such as Jeff Bezos have committed significant resources, with Bezos alone promising $1 billion. If effectively managed, the Accelerator could inject $19 billion into the region by 2030, with transformative potential not just for combating desertification but also invigorating the often-overlooked economies of Sahelian nations.
As of 2023, progress remains modest, with only about 18 million hectares–18% of the GGW’s target–restored. This land, equivalent to the size of Cambodia, underscores the scale of the problem and work still required. Experts estimate that achieving the initiative’s full potential will require an additional $33 billion and at least a decade of sustained effort.
In the coming years, serious implementations of socioeconomic-based reforestation initiatives will take place, but will require oversight and continued management by the 11 states involved and their beneficiaries. Platforms such as the Great Green Wall Observatory, established by the AU and UNCCD, track progress, ensuring transparency and accountability in funding and implementation. With over 20 African countries partnering with international agencies, research institutes, and grassroots organizations, the GGW aims to create jobs and provide ecological benefits to over 200 million people across the continent.
Good Things Take Time (and Money)
The question remains if the Great Green Wall Accelerator can galvanize enough support and effective management to bring the GGW closer to its ambitious goals. With ongoing challenges including widespread famine, climate instability, and regional conflicts, achieving significant progress by 2030 remains unlikely. Yet, the global political commitment displayed at recent One Planet Summits reflects a growing consensus on the urgency of this effort.
The involvement of Western nations, especially through French-led initiatives, has accelerated funding and international attention. While critics point to these dynamics as indicative of North-South power imbalances, the project also presents an opportunity for meaningful collaboration. If implemented responsibly–with Western funding supporting African-led efforts and prioritizing local control over land tenure– this project could empower smaller communities and promote lasting ecological restoration.
Ultimately, the GGW has evolved beyond a project about combating desertification, but has become a symbol of hope for a region that faces compounding crises. Though the vision of a contiguous “green wall” may never fully materialize, incremental successes–such as increased biodiversity, job creation, and restored ecosystems–offer a powerful blueprint for tackling the effects of climate change. Such an ambitious venture will indeed take time and money to fully materialize, but with sustained commitment and local ownership, the Great Green Wall has the potential to redefine how the world addresses shared environmental challenges.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own, and may not reflect the opinions of The St Andrews Economist.
Image: UNCCD