The small plants were all ready. One hundred and fifty thousand drought – tolerant acacia, baobab, and moringa plants were taken out of their black plastic containers. Pits were made in rows. Wonder what am I going to tell today? This is the story of the great green wall. Next wonder of the world.
In less than a week, 399 people from 27 countries gathered in a remote corner of northern Senegal, Africa, to be part of the greatest creation ever created by man. They were ready for any challenge that came their way. Their goal was to mitigate endangered climate change.
Great Green Wall – The Greatest Creation Ever Created by Man
I’m going to tell you about the Great Green Wall, which is being built at a cost of $ 8 billion. The reforestation of 247 million acres is a huge undertaking. Their main goal is to reduce or minimize climate change spreading all over of Africa. The plan of action for this wall, which stretches across North Africa, extends to 2030.
It will be built from Senegal to Djibouti. It will be a great barrier to dust storms from the Sahara to Africa and also it will provide food and new habitats for animals. Work began on the 4815-mile stretch.
Once complete, the Great Green Wall will be the largest living structure on the planet, 3 times the size of the Great Barrier Reef.
How to build the next natural Wonder of the World
In 1954 Richard st. Barbie Baker explored the Sahara and suggested building a 30-mile-wide green fence to prevent the desert from expanding. This idea resurfaced in 2002 at the annual World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought Conference in Chad. At its seventh session on June 1 and 2, 2005, its leaders approved the resolution. In 2007, the African Union named it the Great Green Wall.
It was decided to do this based on the lessons learned from the Algerian green dam and the Great Green Wall of China. The work was planned after a social, environmental and economic study. Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Chad have joined forces to form the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall.
By the end of this work in 2030, the restored land is expected to absorb about 250 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by all vehicles in California in 3.5 years.
According to the beginning of the article, everything was ready for the project, but there was one problem. The rain that was supposed to come in June did not fall even though it came in August. They were able to cover 15% of the land. Other countries joined in. Despite the terrorist attacks, the work continues. More than 11 million plants were cultivated in Senegal.
Growing More Than Trees
More than just growing trees and plants, the Great Green Wall is transforming the lives of millions of people in the Sahel region. People in those areas choose plants that are beneficial to them because they are also interested in protecting the plants that benefit them.
Nigeria has reclaimed 12 million acres and Ethiopia 37 million acres. Sahel’s population is expected to double by 2039. Its economy has also grown.
India is also hoping to build a green wall facing the Thar Desert in northwestern India, according to a concept by Prime Minister Modi. With the approval of the Central Government of India, construction will begin.
If climate change continues, it is not the Earth that will be destroyed. The Earth will survive anyway. Humans and animals will be destroyed. More such projects will be needed to prevent it.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
Growing an 8000km world wonder across Africa is not a foregone conclusion.
10 million hectares of degraded land need to be restored every year from now until 2030.
We need collective action from global citizens around the world to help power this urgent movement, and create a unique and lasting legacy for all humanity.
Sasindu Jayasri is an Engineering student from Sri Lanka and he studies mechanical engineering at the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Moratuwa. He is passionate about writing and giving inspiration to the world. Follow him in LinkedIn for updates and you can contact him directly.
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