5 Give one positive of the work Ecosia
has done in Burkina Faso
1 What is the aim of the Great
Green Wall project?
In January 2021, who
2 donated $14 billion to the
project?
What percentage of lands
3 needs complete restoration?
4 How are villagers working
with Hommes et Terre to
bring the land back from the
brink?
7 What are Forest Gardens?
How to transform 100 million hectares of hostile desert to a flourishing, welcoming savannah
Complete regeneration is one of the most challenging tasks – the key is to engage local restoration groups and communities
in the area. Article written: February 2021, written by Pieter van Midwoud (chief tree planting officer at Ecosia)
After 14 years, the Great Green Wall is
back on the agenda. The project,
launched in 2007, aims to restore 100
million hectares of degraded land in
the Sahel, one of the world’s poorest
regions, with a target date of 2030.
In January the French Government,
African Development Bank and the
World Bank came together to offer over
$14 billion to accelerate the initiative.
But it will take more than money to
restore this land from a tough desert
into a thriving, vibrant savannah
ecosystem.
Where to begin? We don’t need to
plant 100 million hectares worth of 
trees – about 30% of land needs
complete restoration, reclaiming the
land from hostile desert into an actual
habitat. A further third needs partial
restoration, whilst the rest of the land
needs to be conserved to prevent it
from turning into desert.
The key is to engage local restoration
groups and communities in the area. In
Burkina Faso, which includes parts of
the Sahel, Hommes et Terre is one of
the largest restoration companies in
the region, who works closely with local
communities to bring the land bank
from the brink. Villagers collect the
seeds for tree species and grass as well
as organic fertiliser, and help to dig
half-moons in the desert to collect
6 Why is the Sahel so important for
local people?
rainwater.
After a few months in the rainy season,
the seeds begin to sprout and start the
process of reclaiming the desert into
savannah.
Since we (company Ecosia) began
working in Burkina Faso, we are now
restoring over 15,000 hectares of
desertified land. This work has
improved soil fertility and water
availability in some of the driest regions
of the country, whilst also providing
employment and crops to local
communities. A strategy like this would
be essential to the Great Green Wall
project, helping to bring the Sahel back
from the brink through the
regeneration of trees and grasslands.
But, when it comes to restoration, the
focus is on working with local
communities. Without their buy-in and
collaboration, as well as agreement on
the benefits the work will bring to the
local area, any and all activities will be
fruitless. For the people living in the
Sahel, the land provides food for cattle
and goats to eat, as well as firewood.
It’s this that leads to suppressed tree
growth as young, regenerating plants
are eaten before they have a chance to
grow.
For instance, in Senegal, 
Trees For the Future help farmers
transform single-crop fields into Forest
8 Why are Forest Gardens so important?
10 What is one barrier that could hinder (hold back) the GGW project?
1 What is going to be
important in restoring the
1
region?
Gardens. These can contain up to 4,000
trees and different fruit and vegetable
species, with the trees helping to
provide shade and moisture as well as
protect the crops. The Forest Gardens
revitalise the soil and enhance
biodiversity, whilst also providing
sources of food and revenue for
farmers.
Why is planting for the future
necessary, you may ask? The Write down a new fact
investments made now in the Sahel will you have learnt from
have a positive impact on climate, reading this article today
biodiversity and the livelihoods of
people across the region. Species that
live in the area will have their habitat
back.
There are barriers that will hinder the
work to create the Great Green Wall
(GGW). Terrorist groups are rife in the
region, so safety is a concern. Utilising
local organisations that have capacity
and can scale their work is critical.
There’s a long road ahead to achieve
the goal of restoring and regenerating
100 million hectares across the Sahel.
9Give one benefit of planting
for the future in the Sahel
But, with a combination of partners,
technology, knowledge and funding, it
will be possible to restore the region
from hostile desert and to a flourishing,
welcoming savannah.