A bit different from my typical posts but I found it very interesting.
The Great Green Wall is a project developed by the African Union to face desertification in South Sahara. The project, held by 11 african countries, consists to create a green belt, 15 km thick and 7,775 km long, from Senegal to Djibouti.[1]
Its origins can be traced back to Burkina Faso's president Thomas Sankara, who led efforts fighting desertification in his country from 1983-1987. In July 2005, under the Presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo, the African Union decided to adopt and support the project, which shows similarities to the more decentrally organized Green Belt Movement which has been initiated by Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai.
This green barrier, coordinated by Senegal[2], is aimed to protect the land against encroaching sand and erosion.[3] Contributing to improve local incomes, this green barrier will be a global answer to the combined effect of natural resources degradation and drought in rural areas.[4] On June 17, 2010, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) announces that the project will be first financed by a $119 million, already adopted by the African Union in 2007.[5]
