The Great Green Wall's one of the world's most ambitious eco-projects. Is it working?

Africa's Great Green Wall was launched by the African Union in 2007 as one of the world's most ambitious environmental projects. The multi-billion dollar initiative aims to plant a "wall" of trees spanning 4,350 miles across the Sahel region to fight desertification, re-green 250 million acres, and create green jobs for millions. Eighteen years later, vast amounts of money have been spent, yet most of the planned Wall remains no more green than the barren fields it was meant to transform.

The plan was boundless in scope and vision. Backers called it a "new world wonder" that would sequester 250 million tons of carbon, provide green jobs for 10 million people, and alleviate poverty, food insecurity and conflict across 11 countries from Senegal to Djibouti. The United Nations estimated that $33 billion would be needed to complete the Wall. International organizations including UN agencies, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Union, the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility pledged billions in support.

What began as an ecological undertaking has in many ways devolved into a cautionary tale. Projects have been poorly planned, lacking in local participation and entangled in opaque financing. In Djibouti, the government spent $300,000 installing a water system for a community farm in 2014, complete with a borehole, solar pump and concrete tanks. The farm initially thrived, with villagers growing tomatoes, legumes and fruits. Within a few years, however, the water supply began to dwindle as persistent drought and other challenges undermined the infrastructure.

Context

The Great Green Wall initiative operates across 11 African nations through national agencies and ministerial departments in each country. A coordinating entity, the Pan-African Great Green Wall Agency, is based in Mauritania. The project represents one of the largest coordinated environmental efforts on the continent, drawing support from multiple international development institutions and environmental funds.

What's Next

As the initiative enters its third decade, stakeholders are reassessing implementation strategies and financing mechanisms. The focus is shifting toward understanding why projects have underperformed and identifying ways to increase local participation and transparency in fund allocation to ensure the Wall achieves its environmental and economic goals.