Desertification in the Sahel region is a pressing environmental issue with far-reaching consequences. The Sahel, meaning “shore” or “edge” in Arabic, is the region in Africa between the Sahara Desert and the and stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. The area covers all or part of twenty-three countries, the majority of which are in West Africa.
The Great Green Wall: Africa’s Answer to Desertification | FULL DOCUMENTARY
Map of the Sahel Region
The Definition and Scope of Desertification
Desertification is “the process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation or inappropriate agriculture.” It is where semi-arid lands, such as grasslands or shrublands, decrease and eventually disappear. Although they are often used interchangeably, the difference lies in the human influence on the process.
Desertification is widespread in the Sahel, and it appears to be moving southward. The Sahel region, stretching across Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, is characterized by fragile ecosystems and vulnerable communities. As of 2022, it is estimated that 60% of the African population lives in arid, semi-arid, dry sub-humid and hyper-arid areas. The Sahel remains the most vulnerable and affected area in the African continent today, as well as globally.
Historical Context and the Modern Study of Desertification
The origins of the word ‘desertification’ are most commonly attributed to French botanist André Aubréville’s 1949 work on African rainforests, though a study argues that it may even be traced back to the 19th-century French colonial North Africa. The phenomenon has existed in Africa for thousands of years and isn’t new. Africa is home to one of the world’s most famous deserts, the Sahara, which is growing at a rate of 48 kilometers per year. Desertification and the expansion of deserts were not initially primarily due to human-induced climate change like they are nowadays. However, human activity has more recently come to either grow or shrink these deserts.
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The modern study of desertification that we are familiar with today, which considers climate change, emerged from studying the 1980s drought in the Sahel region - the most vulnerable region on the continent. The 1980s drought is not the first human-induced event that affected the Sahel region. The desert has historically experienced a long series of droughts, but one of the most significant is the Sahelian drought and famine of 1968. It lasted until 1985 and was directly linked to the death of approximately 100,000 people and disruption of millions of lives. Human exploitation of natural resources (such as overgrazing and deforestation) was originally believed to be the sole cause behind the drought.
Causes of Desertification in the Sahel
The combination of climate change, overgrazing, deforestation, and improper agricultural practices has resulted in extensive land degradation and desertification. The Sahel’s natural climate cycles make it vulnerable to droughts throughout the year. Agricultural activity disrupted the natural system, forcing significant parts of the Sahel region to become dry and barren.
Human activities, including armed violence, climate change, deforestation, and overgrazing, have had significant consequences for both the ecosystem and the local communities. Overgrazing, deforestation, climate change, and poor land management have created a vicious cycle that transforms arable land into desert-like conditions.
In semiarid grasslands, such as the Sahel region, dust storms are often generated where the ground has been stripped of vegetative cover by cultivation or grazing. Most overgrazing is caused by excessive numbers of livestock feeding too long in a particular area. Desertification occurs when land surfaces are transformed by human activities, including overgrazing, deforestation, surface land mining, and poor irrigation techniques, during a natural time of drought.
According to the United Nations, over 80% of the land in the Sahel is now degraded, affecting more than 100 million people. Indeed, farmers and herders are losing their means of survival, leading to biodiversity degradation, water scarcity, food insecurity, and forcing mass migration.
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Effects of Desertification
Climate-induced desertification is having adverse effects on the African continent each year the Earth continues to warm. The consequences of desertification affect not only Africans but also the country’s rich biodiversity and habitats. It impacts the everyday lives of Africans - from their crops, livestock, and housing - to African wildlife and biodiversity. As a result of these consequences, it is smaller farmers and households that have suffered the most.
Since desertification has contributed significantly to farmers’ lack of fertile soil and land to grow and sell crops, many Africans have to turn to other means to make a living. Unfortunately, this may result in a decline of African animal populations. For instance, the Black Rhino is a native species to Africa but has been hunted into near extinction to meet the global demand for the Rhinoceros horn. Animals such as the African Elephant has suffered a similar fate due to the ivory trade. Gorilla numbers are also plummeting due to habitat loss. Farmers have been forced to make more room for agricultural development since much of the available land is no longer arable.The degradation of drylands in Africa is forcing people who can no longer make a living off the land to move to urban areas.
According to the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), Africa loses 3 million hectares of its forests a year, leading to a 3% loss of GDP associated with soil and nutrient depletion. According to the UN, more than 24 billion tonnes of fertile soil disappear every year.
Case Study: A Community in the Sahel
Examining a specific case study in the Sahel region sheds light on the complexities and impacts of desertification. In a particular community, unsustainable farming methods and drought have led to soil erosion and degradation. The once-fertile land has turned into arid, unproductive soil, forcing farmers to abandon their livelihoods and seek alternative means of survival.
Combating Desertification: Initiatives and Solutions
To combat desertification effectively, a multi-faceted approach is necessary. First and foremost, raising awareness about the issue and its consequences is crucial. Governments, NGOs, and local communities must collaborate to implement sustainable land management practices. This involves promoting agroforestry, conservation farming, and reforestation initiatives to restore degraded land and improve soil health.
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Africa is putting all its efforts into countering the spread of the Sahara Desert through a series of sustainable projects, such as the Great Green Wall, an African Union initiative that aims at restoring the fertility of degraded agricultural and pastoral lands. Local communities are also experimenting with sustainable practices like agroforestry and water harvesting, drawing on their Indigenous knowledge to support the natural restoration of the land. This helps communities adapt to the climate crisis by boosting agricultural production even in drought years, leading to economic empowerment and strengthening community cohesion.
With the Sahel region being the most vulnerable and heavily affected by desertification, an initiative known as ‘The Green Wall’ was put in place for the Sahara and Sahel in 2007. Its ambitious aim is to grow an 8,000-kilometre natural wonder across the entire width of Africa in order to increase the amount of arable land bordering the Sahara desert. The initiative is showing signs of significant progress.
Due to the scale of disruption caused by climate change in Africa, The ‘Wall’ is only one of many initiatives in place. For instance, to recover lost rainforests and save the remaining forests left in Africa, the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) was launched in 2015 to restore 100 million hectares by 2030. The roadmap for development Agenda 2063 was also implemented to commit to several issues. These include ecosystem restoration, protecting, restoring and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably managing forests and combating desertification.
At UNCCD COP15 in Abidjan, the Bank established the first Africa Pavilion, showcasing African-led solutions to land degradation. The African Development Bank recognises that tackling desertification and land degradation requires collective efforts.
The Great Green Wall: A Symbol of Hope
In 2007, the Heads of State and Government of Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Chad, with the support of the African Union, decided to launch a project to combat desertification in the Sahel and provide a dignified life with a future to its inhabitants: the Great Green Wall of Africa. The initiative reflects the spirit of the Kenyan ecologist Wangari Maathai, who was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
The Great Green Wall aims to become a 15 km wide and 8,000 km long plant barrier along the Sahel. Based on its dimensions, it surpasses any collective work carried out by mankind and some define it as the eighth world wonder: nothing less than covering 100 million hectares of semi-desert with a green mantle.
18 million trees have been planted in Senegal since its launch in 200, and the growth of this figure will hopefully prevent the Sahara from advancing on the land most affected by desertification and reduce soil erosion in the process. 37 million acres of degraded land in Ethiopia have also been restored due to this initiative.
| Country | Progress |
|---|---|
| Senegal | 18 million trees planted since 2008 |
| Ethiopia | 37 million acres of degraded land restored |
Map of the Great Green Wall Initiative
Financial Support and International Collaboration
However, Africa is not able to counter desertification by itself: the scale of the crisis is far too big to finance back strategies by the continent alone, considering also that many more projects are stalling due to lack of funding, coordination, or political instability. Efforts to raise global awareness and generate funding for restoration have substantially helped the project: one such initiative is the Regreening Africa programme, which has engaged over 500,000 households across eight African countries in land restoration efforts.
With millions of hectares of forest regained, which is only growing yearly, the outlook for restoring healthy green land looks positive. AFR100’s goal of restoring 100 million hectares by 2030 is not as far-fetched as we may think despite the ambitious goal, especially since the Great Green wall received $14 billion in funding for the next ten years at the recent One Planet Summit for Biodiversity. This financial support will vastly scale up efforts to restore degraded land, create green jobs, strengthen resilience and protect biodiversity.
The African Development Bank has been a key partner in advancing the Great Green Wall initiative, an ambitious effort to restore degraded landscapes across the Sahel. By integrating robust land use planning with a focus on sustainability, the project restores degraded lands and secures a productive and resilient future for generations to come.
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