Ethiopia in Strong Engagement on Land Restoration

Addis Ababa July 31/2018 Ethiopia has been taking "very strong engagement" on land restoration, AU Great Green Wall Initiative Coordinator Elvis Paul Tangem said. "I think Ethiopia has done a lot," he said, adding that some 15 million hectares of land have been under restoration in Ethiopia. Tangem revealed that the Great Green Wall Initiative "has taken people from many countries to see what is happening in Ethiopia, and let Ethiopians learn from the experience of other countries." Furthermore, he noted that other African countries in the initiative are also on the right track in implementing the program. The coordinator noted that in Nigeria 5 million hectares of degraded land have been restored and 20,000 jobs have been created. Some 12 million indigenous trees have been planted in Senegal. The livelihoods of about 15 million people have improved with the implementation of this initiative, he added. Despite the challenges the program faces, including financial constrains and lack of awareness the program, the Great Green Wall Initiative has been fruitful, according to the coordinator. Meanwhile, the African Union and UN Convention to Combat Desertification have partnered on the production of a documentary film on the Great Green Wall of the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI), it was learned. The Great Green Wall of the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative is a pan-African initiative launched in 2007 by the African Union and UN Convention to Combat Desertification. The initiative aims to grow an 8,000km-long line of trees and plants across the entire Sahel, from Atlantic coast of Senegal to the east coast of Djibouti. Its aims to reverse land degradation and desertification in the Sahel and Sahara region, boost food security, and support local communities to adapt to climate change. The Great Green Wall of the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative brings together over  20 countries from the Sahelo-Saharan region, including Algeria, Burkina Faso, Benin, Chad, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, the Gambia, and Tunisia.