The largest wall in the world is the Great Wall of China, which is 13,000 miles long. The Great Wall of China spans around the entire country, but what if there was a wall that spans across an entire country? In the 1970’s, African land known as the Sahel became severely degraded. The Sahel has supported many communities in Africa for decades, but as Sahel became dry, no crops could be supported, letting communities lose access to all the things the Sahel had given them.
By the 1980’s, plans for the Great Green Wall had been made. This wall would span across the entire Sahel, from Nigeria to Ethiopia. In 2007, the African Union had approved the plan for the wall with 11 countries supporting the project. Today, 20 countries are now part of the ambitious plan.
Why is it called the Great Green Wall? Unlike other walls, this one is made from plants and trees. By 2030, the wall might be visible from space. Many volunteers, workers, and farmers help each day to plant trees, shrubs, and native plants to create the wall to bring back the Sahel. With climate change, deforestation is one of the fastest impacts. The Great Green Wall is Africa’s largest reforestation project. But the Great Green Wall impacts more than just reforestation.
The Sustainable Development Goals
Recognized by all countries, the Sustainable Development Goals are 17 goals by the United Nations that will help make earth more sustainable and better. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are:
- No Poverty
- Zero Hunger
- Good Health and Well-Being
- Quality Education
- Gender Equality
- Clean Water and Sanitation
- Affordable and Clean Energy
- Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- Reduced Inequalities
- Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Responsible Consumption and Production
- Climate Action
- Life Below Water
- Life on Land
- Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- Partnership for the Goals
The Great Green Wall addresses 15 of the Sustainable Development Goals. The only goals it does not address are Life Below Water, and Sustainable Cities and Communities. This project is one of the biggest plans that addresses more than five of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Ambition and Partnerships
The ambition of the Great Green Wall is by 2030, the wall aims to restore 100 million hectares that are currently degraded land, sequester 250 million tons of carbon and create 10 million jobs in rural areas.
In recent news, the Great Green Wall received $14 billion to help the reforestation project by France and the World Bank. Those aren’t the only sponsors for the project. Since 2007, the Great Green Wall is partnered with 20 African countries, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Algeria, Benin, Cape Verde, Egypt, Gambia, Libya, Somalia, and Tunisia.
The Great Green Wall is also partnered with the African Union, FAO, GEF, Republiqué Française, IUCN, The World Bank, CILSS, European Union, Kew, Sahara and Sahel Observatory, and the United Nations.
Get Involved
As much as the Great Green Wall is partnered with organizations and countries, it still needs your donations. You can donate to the Great Green Wall to help fund the reforestation project. If you are interested in supporting the Sustainable Development Goals, click here to learn more, or join Model United Nations.
Written by Henry Bankowski