The pan-African Great Green Wall (GGW) is an initiative that was meant in 2007, the year of its launch, to involve the planting of a 15 km wide transcontinental forest belt running from Dakar to Djibouti. This major project was designed to combat desertification. The band of vegetation is to be as continuous as possible, but it may be rerouted if necessary to skirt around obstacles (streams, rocky areas, mountains) or to link inhabited areas (see www.grandemurailleverte.org)
Scientists have and are still being queried by people, NGOs and donors on the merits and feasibility of this project. In 2011, members of CSFD drew up a summary of scientific findings to help answer these questions.
This review can be downloaded at: www.csf-desertification.org/great-green-wall
This fact sheet summarizes the key points.
Three misconceptions should be (...)