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Over 20 Countries Started Building The “Great Green Wall” To Stop Climate Change & Poverty
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Over 20 Countries Started Building The “Great Green Wall” To Stop Climate Change & Poverty

Over 20 Countries Have Started Building An 8,000KM “Great Green Wall” To Stop Climate Change And DesertificationOver 20 Countries Started Building The “Great Green Wall” To Stop Climate Change & PovertyThe African Union Aims To Build An 8,000KM Great Green Wall To Stop DesertificationAfrica Is Curbing Climate Change By Planting An 8,000KM Great Green Wall Across The Continent20 African Countries Combat Climate Change By Building An 8,000KM Long 'Great Green Wall'To Stop The Spread Of The Sahara Desert And Fight Climate Change, 20+ African Countries Have Been Building A Wall Of TreesAfrica Is Taking On Climate Change By Building An 8,000KM Great Green Wall To Push Away The Sahara DesertOver 20 Countries Started Building The “Great Green Wall” To Stop Climate Change & PovertyOver 20 Countries Started Building The “Great Green Wall” To Stop Climate Change & PovertyOver 20 Countries Started Building The “Great Green Wall” To Stop Climate Change & Poverty
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Greta Thunberg is challenging nations to go green, MrBeast is rounding up YouTubers to plant trees, and Ethiopia is restoring its natural landscapes with record-breaking feats—saving the planet has never been more important than it is now.

These initiatives are certainly not the first, but they definitely help in the battle against climate change. Not only do they bring to the forefront the issues that we as inhabitants of Earth face, but it also sheds light on a number of other green campaigns—campaigns like the Great Green Wall.

The Great Green Wall is planned to span 8,000km, covering 100 million hectares of land

Image credits: EcoPandas

Officially approved in 2005 and heavily endorsed in 2007, the Great Green Wall (sometimes called the Great Wall of Africa) is an initiative that aims to combat the effects of desertification in the Sahel Region (Northern Africa) and climate change worldwide.

The Great Green Wall Initiative aims to restore 100 million hectares of land that is currently degraded in the region and to sequester 250 million tons of carbon by 2030.

Image credits: Great Green Wall

The initiative will also provide a number of socioeconomic advantages, like creating 10 million green jobs and greater economic opportunities for the youth as well as ensuring greater food security to millions.

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Needless to say, the Great Green Wall Initiative will also grow an 8,000km chain of forests, making it a possible contender for the natural wonders of the world and a potential tourist location.

20+ African countries are already on board with the project with another 23 regional & international partners

Image credits: Great Green Wall

The ecological project gathers a great deal of inspiration and wisdom from other similar projects around the globe. Among them is the Algerian Green Dam, a massive reforestation program to safeguard and develop pre-Saharan areas, and the Green Wall of China, a series of wind-breaking forest strips in China to hold back the expansion of the Gobi Desert.

Image credits: Great Green Wall

It has been 12 years since the official launch of the program, during which a handful of nations have achieved great results. According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, a bit over 20 million hectares of land (roughly 20% of the goal) has been restored in Ethiopia, Senegal, Nigeria, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and a handful of other nations. At the moment, a total of 21 countries are hosting projects related to the Great Green Wall with 23 regional and international partners in support.

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Image credits: Great Green Wall

The Great Green Wall Campaign has received a bit of criticism for attempting to solve desertification problem using the wrong means. According to Alessandra Giannini, a climate scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, the Saharan Desert formed because of where it is and how little rain it gets. The amount of vegetation will not change the amount of rainfall.

Image credits: Great Green Wall

Regardless, planting trees will mean reducing the effects of climate change, which now brings less frequent, but more intensive rainfall. Forestation should help reduce run-off and increase water infiltration into the soil resulting in a more efficient use of rainfall.

The Great Green Wall Initiative even has its own movie to reinforce the pathos of the issue & project

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Image credits: The Great Green Wall

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Robertas Lisickis

Robertas Lisickis

Author, BoredPanda staff

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Some time ago, Robertas used to spend his days watching how deep the imprint in his chair will become as he wrote for Bored Panda. Wrote about pretty much everything under and beyond the sun. Not anymore, though. He's now probably playing Gwent or hosting Dungeons and Dragons adventures for those with an inclination for chaos.

Read less »
Robertas Lisickis

Robertas Lisickis

Author, BoredPanda staff

Some time ago, Robertas used to spend his days watching how deep the imprint in his chair will become as he wrote for Bored Panda. Wrote about pretty much everything under and beyond the sun. Not anymore, though. He's now probably playing Gwent or hosting Dungeons and Dragons adventures for those with an inclination for chaos.

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Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I care way more about habitat loss and deforestation than I do about climate change. I like this initiative. Hopefully they are planting drought resistant vegetation like Stille20 mentions.

valed
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

do you actually know that climate change and deforestation/habitat loss are....you know ..linked??? they are part of the consequences

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Brett Connor
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They should be planting weed! Income, quick turnover, and large amounts of Biiomass!

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Full Name
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I care way more about habitat loss and deforestation than I do about climate change. I like this initiative. Hopefully they are planting drought resistant vegetation like Stille20 mentions.

valed
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

do you actually know that climate change and deforestation/habitat loss are....you know ..linked??? they are part of the consequences

Load More Replies...
Brett Connor
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They should be planting weed! Income, quick turnover, and large amounts of Biiomass!

Load More Comments
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