Great Green Wall restores 1.66 million hectares in the Sahel

The Great Green Wall initiative has successfully put approximately 1.66 million hectares of land under restoration in the Sahel region. This milestone was detailed in a five-year report from the Great Green Wall Accelerator, released by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Key impacts recorded include the sequestration or mitigation of 24 million tons of CO2 equivalent, the creation of 4.6 million jobs, and the direct impact on 46 million people. The initiative, originally established in 2007 by the African Union and the UNCCD, aims to combine environmental land recovery with food security, economic opportunity, clean energy, and climate resilience.

Despite these advancements, the UNCCD notes that results are still considered initial and data collection remains a challenge. While the Great Green Wall Observatory monitors over 389 projects, fewer than 90 currently provide data aligned with harmonized indicators. The project maintains a long-term goal of restoring 100 million hectares and creating 10 million green jobs by 2030.