Experts and officials met in Addis Ababa on May 13, 2025 to reaffirm the importance of cooperation in implementing the African Union's Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI). The initiative, which aims to restore the Sahel and subsequent degraded land, was launched in 2007 to combat desertification and address climate challenges affecting food security, livelihoods and biodiversity. At the meeting, Hasen Nyanbe Hasen, director of the African Union Commission's sustainable environment and blue economy, emphasized that fragmented approaches undermine efforts to build climate-sensitive landscapes.
During the discussion, Professor Labodo Poplar of the African Forest Forum highlighted the role of forest management and community empowerment in ensuring long-term environmental recovery. Both authorities called for increased political will, resource mobilization, and knowledge exchange across African countries. The Great Green Wall, which is said to be more than a reforestation project, is surrounded by an important strategy to create opportunities for food security, green employment and sustainable development across Africa's arid lands.
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Source: ENA
