How a 7000km wall can unify the world to protect the planet

We usually associate walls with exclusion or division; noteworthy walls that span continents, such as the Berlin Wall or the Great Wall of China, are symbols of conflict. But what if there was a wall that symbolised life and prosperity?

The Great Green Wall project aims to grow a 7775km stretch of trees across the continent of Africa. The initiative is spearheaded by eleven African Nations who live in the Sahel, a dry grassland which separates the Sahara desert from Africa's forests. Established in 2008, the project aims to restore more than 50 million hectares of land and halt the loss of plentiful land to desertification. At 1 Million Women we are thrilled to see the success of such a large scale effort to combat climate change. But it isn't just a symbol of unity.

Wait -why do we need a wall?

The Sahel region in Africa has been heavily impacted by the process of desertification. Almost half of African land has been affected by land degradation, impacting over 65% of the continents population. Decline in rainfall and over grazing has caused the Sahel soil to lose key nutrients, making it increasingly difficult to grow food. The resulting desertification not only makes the land immensely vulnerable to climate variations, but also causes economic strife for land dependent families. It has been predicted that if this downward spiral is not halted, over two-third of the useable land could be lost with devastating ramifications for land-dependent communities.

A snapshot of the Wall today

Since its launch in 2008, the Great Green Wall has already made major progress in restoring the Sahel. With approximately 15% of the trees already planted, various local initiatives have already gone along way. Some key (and inspiring!) stats include:

-Over 11 million trees planted in Senegal
-In Nigeria 20,000 sustainable jobs have been created
-15 million hectares of degraded land restored in Ethiopia

-In Burkina Faso food production has grown to about 80,000 tones a year

Read next: One Man Single-Handedly Plants Forrest Bigger Than Central Park

Image Source: Borgen Magazine

The Great Wall is a project that has resulted in both economic and biological growth over the past 8 years, but there is still a long way to go. It is likely that the wall will be completed in 2030. It's an exciting picture, but there are things we can do to get behind the wall today:

Spread the Word

The Great Wall is a response to a growing problem - the degradation of land through overuse. It's an issue that impacts eco-systems worldwide and one that we at 1 Million Women are committed to fighting. Environmental issues of this scale can only be combated through wide scale awareness. So be proactive. If there's anything we see from the collaborative effort of the Great Green Wall, it's that we need to be unified to affect change. The project could also act as a model for similar projects in central Asia, which faces similar challenges in adapting to environmental degradation.

Support

We recently shared an article about Ecosia, an eco friendly search engine that contributes the majority of its profits in support of tree planting in Burkina Faso. Why not take the opportunity to contribute to the growth of the wall from the comfort of your laptop?

Read next: We're Ditching Google For This Tree Planting Search Engine


Look to your own community

Maybe you don't have the potential to build a 7000km wall, but there are things you can do on a local level , but what about the issues in your community? Are there other opportunities where you can combine economic benefits with something that's great for the environment? It could be something as simple as shopping at a bulk store rather than a super market, or getting involved in a tree planting initiative. There are so many things we can do to love the planet we live on, even though they can feel small, when we do them together they can create changes on the same scale as that being created by the Great Green Wall in Africa.

Read next: The Most Beautiful Trees In The World

1 Million Women is more than our name, it's our goal! We're building a movement of strong, inspirational women acting on climate change by leading low-carbon lives. To make sure that our message has an impact, we need more women adding their voice. We need to be louder. Joining us online means your voice and actions can be counted. We need you.