Imagine a corridor 15 kilometers wide and 7,500 kilometers long, planted with acacias, desert date trees and vegetable gardens, spanning the African continent from Dakar to Djibouti. That is precisely what the African Union plans to achieve with its ambitious project launched in 2002. At the edge of the Sahel, where major ecological and human balances are being disrupted by drought, it is vital to support the development of a wide variety of ecosystems. Areas with plant life help cool and humidify the air, nourish soils and strengthen them against erosion, and keep the desert at bay. In turn, this stimulates the local economy, meaning that communities are able to continue living in these areas. As reservoirs of essential biodiversity, these ecosystems are a source of food, materials and well-being for residents. With this initiative, communities can find sustainable forest management solutions for their land. TotalEnergies Foundation has joined forces with Observatoire Hommes Milieux International in Téssékéré, Senegal, which works to analyze the impact of crops, promote the sharing of experiences between countries and raise awareness about the project among local communities.
The Great Green Wall:
A 7,500-kilometer long corridor from East to West Africa.