Africa’s ambitious Great Green Wall project—envisioned in 2007 to stop the Sahara’s advance by planting a 6,000-kilometer stretch of trees—has hit a wall of its own. In Senegal, where 817,500 hectares were targeted for restoration, satellite images show that only one of 36 sites is greener than it would have been naturally. Despite over $20 billion pledged globally, just a fraction has reached local communities, with funds often stalled in bureaucracy or diverted to other sectors deemed more important. Researchers say the initiative has created some short-term jobs but little ecological impact, with low tree survival rates due to grazing animals and a lack of irrigation. Experts argue that success must now be measured by ecological outcomes—actual greening visible from space—rather than just the number of trees planted. They urge better grassroots funding to achieve this.
The Conversation
