Volume 13, Issue 1, January - March 2024
CONTENT
Chair's Foreword
The Great Green Wall of Africa: Hope for the Future Economy of a Youthful Independent Africa?
Earth Science Events
References and selected reading
Chair's Foreword*
This quarter we visit the topic of the Great Green Wall of Africa - a project set to become the Earth's largest living wonder. An 8,000 mile wall of trees (on the face of it) that will improve soil fertility, sequester carbon, restore degraded landscapes, and improve employment prospects for young Africans.
This was the vision. In the current article we report on the outcomes so far.
The Great Green Wall: Hope for a Youthful Independent Africa
The Great Green Wall of Africa, first proposed by the then president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo and former president of Senegal Abdoulaye Wade in 2007 [1] is referred to in Nigerian Federal Government literature as the"Great Green Wall, GGW"[2]. It is a project that was adopted by the African Union in 2007 primarily to halt desertification, mitigate climate warming by sequestering carbon and restoring degraded landscapes, among bringing many other associated benefits[3].
In various online articles, it was claimed that the Sahara desert had increased in size by an alarming 10% in the past 100 years. However, a more recent report in the National Geographic posits that the Sahara desert is a very stable ecosystem, which is largely unchanged[4].
Originally, the planned dimensions of the Great Green Wall were to be 15 km wide and a length that spanned 7,775 km across the Sahelian belt of Africa from Djibouti in the east to Senegal in the west of Africa, across the territories of at least 22 nations who are now part of the project.[5]. The project aims to create a diversity of landscapes that are green and productive; that is, improving the environment, food security and even boosting opportunities in local employment. The effect will also be a positive impact on environmental change towards landscapes with increased vegetation and therefore more regional rainfall and resilience to drought; as increased vegetation cover leads to greater atmospheric moisture through evaporation and hence cloud formation.
The primary objective of the project is to achieve these outcomes through the planting of a wall of trees across this 8,000 km belt; whilst at the same time implementing sustainable land management practices.
This includes not only planting trees and vegetation, but also water harvesting, soil conservation, the rearing of cattle as part of the whole package to improve local soil fertility, local farming and sustainable land management. This has been so far achieved with the invaluable input of local communities who employ their indigenous knowledge in the process with good results. There are numerous past examples in Burkina Faso[6], Ethiopia etc of African indigenous technology employed to maintain the fertility of the soil, preserve soil and moisture through an arsenal of indigenous techniques; including terracing, stone-lines, planting pits, check dams, stone bunds, planting nitrogen fixing trees such as acasia for the soil, and so on[7]. In past studies indigenous techniques were found to increase food production.
In the seventeen years since the African Union launched the Great Green Wall it is estimated that only 4% of the wall has been established. Setbacks have possibly occurred due to regional climate change and conflicts. But decision making African Union officials have not viewed it as a priority[8]. It has not been a project motivated internally by drawing together intra-African resources. Rather it seems the AU as a body waits on foreign donations and investment, without which no internal vision or drive would progress the project - and the project would fail. Some report it is already failing[9]
Certain parts of the GGW are reported to have had more success. In Senegal desertification and land degradation has been arrested and the project has served to improve the livelihoods of local communities in the region sometimes by local initiatives, including individuals tired of seeing no progress on the much vaunted project, and taking it upon themselves to plant trees and vegetation along the wall; and sometimes with a mix of partners including both local communities and local/international NGOs and nonprofits working together. According to Ecosia, by September 2021 Senegal had planted 1.4 million trees over an area of 50,000 hectares, and restored 300 hectares. The success of Burkina Faso is perhaps founded on historical farming successes. It is recorded that 15 million trees were planted and 14,137 hectares (34,930 acres) of degraded land was restored. Nearer to the eastern end of the wall, Ethiopia planted almost 10 million trees and restored over 3600 hectares (over 8,900 acres).[10]
What in conclusion is our overview on the GGW project? Well, on the face of it, it is a grand idea to build what could be an addition to the wonders of the world by 2030; the worlds largest living infrastructure, with potential for soil revitalisation, climate mitigation and so on. Ambitious plans[11] quote figures of restoring 100 million hectares of degraded land; creating 10 million "green jobs", growing fertile soil, etc. However, it is not easy to dismiss that although the project has some bright spots, it is diminishing overall. To an extent, the lack of dynamism behind the project makes it appear leaderless or rudderless. Earlier it was noted that it has not been a project motivated internally by drawing together intra-African resources. The AU as a body appears to wait on foreign investment. Despite being led by the African Union Commission and a Pan-African agency for the Great Green Wall, the lack of dynamism gives the impression of a free for all with foreign agencies and non-profits able to parachute in along any point of the wall to promote their own work and attract more donations from the public as a result of the prestige of the project.
Perhaps it is fortunate, if not a little embarrassing, that at least by this unguided means the random end result (we hope) is the completion and establishment of the wall in our lifetimes. Also, at least in theory, the opportunities are open to all Africans including from the Diaspora with the requisite skills to intercede and to contribute in a similar vein; but with the principled approach of working together with local communities along the wall to deliver the project.
On the other hand why should Africans accept the unsatisfactory state of the project when it could significantly improve the quality of millions of lives? It is right to challenge the African Union Commission and Pan-African Agency for the Great Green Wall to do better: For instance, they should look to
1) hire more personnel with a passion for the project to steer and guide it, rather relying on disinterested AU officials. To some extent this has happened. But reports persist of the project being hampered by the lack of priority to the wall given by AU officials,
2) provide more robust leadership with a more dynamic indigenously driven plan that garners intra-African support,
3) dedicate a team to identifying and ensuring the delivery of all of the economic and social benefits of the project.
Some of the above criticism may appear unwarranted. But in attempting to address these perceived shortcomings cited here and in previous reports, there is at least a greater chance of ensuring achievement of what the Great Green Wall was set out to deliver for Africa.
Earth Science Events
April 25-27, 2024
International Conference on Geotechnical Engineering
VISION: https://www.icge24.com
VENUE: Hammamet, Tunisia
May 15-18, 2024
6th Euro-Mediterranean Conference for Environmental Integration
VISION: https://waset.org/geophysics-and-dynamic-tectonics-conference-in-may-2024-in-algiers
VENUE: Marrakesh, Morocco
October 6-9, 2024
XVIII African Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
VISION: https://algeos-dz.com/18ARC.html
VENUE: Hammamet, Tunisia
References and selected reading
[1] "Get Africa's Great Green Wall back on track", Nature, Editorial, Nov., 2020.
[2] "Nigeria creates agency for Great Green Wall project". Premium Times Nigeria, 9 September 2014. Retrieved September 2019.
[3] Great Green Wall Initiative | UNCCD , http://www.unccd.int/our-work/ggwi
[4] The Great Green Wall (nationalgeographic.org), http://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/great-green-wall
[5] UNCCD, Op. cit.
[6] Morrison, J., The Great Green Wall Did'nt Stop Desertification. But it Evolved into Something that Might, Smithsonian Magazine, Retrieved, 1 May 2021.
[7] International Fund for Agricultural Development, Soil and Water Conservation in Sub-saharan Africa, Rome, 1992.
[8] Nature, op.cit.
[9] The Green Wall Project to Restore the African Sahara is Collapsing, Independent, 12 Dec., 2023.
[10] Regenerating Diverse Landscapes, Ecosia. Retrieved 2 July 2020
[11] UNCCD, Op. cit.
*Board of the Society of African Earth Scientists: Dr Enas Ahmed (Egypt), Osmin Callis (Secretary - Guyana/Nigeria), Mathada Humphrey (South Africa), Ndivhuwo Cecilia Mukosi (South Africa), Damola Nadi (Nigeria), Dr Chukwunyere Kamalu (Chair - Nigeria).
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