Despite the United Nation's recent declaration that the deadly Horn
of Africa famine of 2011 has finally ended, it remains an obvious and
inescapable certainty that the continent will soon confront another
convergence of climatic, political and economic problems that produces a
similar tragedy.
Unless immediate and effective measures are taken forthwith, the
lives of possibly an even greater number of people will continue to be imperiled. Moreover, it seems imprudent to imagine that such a crisis
can truly be thought to have abated, as the latent effects will be felt
for the foreseeable future amongst both people and the environment.
An integral characteristic of regions at risk, particularly the
famine-prone Sahel region, is the continued human insecurity of many of
its inhabitants, not simply in terms of food, but also water, land and
livelihood. The Sahel region of Africa is an environmental zone
stretching from Djibouti in the Horn of Africa to the Atlantic
coastlines of Senegal and Mauritania. It separates the Sahara Desert to
the north from the temperate regions and rainforests to the south.
Combined with long-standing concerns over shrinking land and water
resources available for the production of food, the search is on for
long-term viable and sustainable solutions on a pan-African basis that
can raise human security levels and ensure future famines can be
averted.
One such project that is successfully attracting and exciting the
imaginations of local stakeholders, international donors and global
environmentalists is the proposed Great Green Wall (GGW). This ambitious
project is immense in both its scope and the possible consequences it
could have on the geographical and political-economic fortunes of the
peoples and states in the Sahel and beyond. In effect an approximately
8000 km long, 15km wide belt of trees and bushes would be planted,
cultivated or regenerated across the entire length of the Sahel, in
order to safeguard against any southward encroachment of the Sahara,
thereby preventing further desertification. Behind this green safety
barrier Sahel countries would theoretically be able to increase the
yield of the land to feed growing populations. Increasing vegetation
cover ensures that water is retained as it causes rain water to seep
into the ground rather than disappear as run-off, which would otherwise
carry away vital top soil.
The origins for idea of the GGW are commonly credited to former
Burkina Faso president Thomas Sankara, although contemporary interest
and impetus largely occurred once former Nigerian president Olusegun
Obasanjo backed the plan in 2005. The GGW was subsequently taken up and
has since been adopted by the African Union as a major future
initiative. The project has also received widespread backing from a
number of international and non-governmental organisations such as the
UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Global
Environment Facility (GEF), which has pledged support in the region of
$115 million in grants and investments.
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