Our dream: The Great Green Wall of Africa Combating desertification of the Sahel using sustainable methods and therefore calling a halt to the increasing threat to life there which has been going on for years. That is the dream that The Netherlands Red Cross, Cordaid, Wetlands International, CARE Netherlands, Both ENDS and NOOR Photography, together with Droomfonds [Dream Fund] and also scores of partners in Africa would like to bring true - the Great Green Wall. An approach that is rooted to and built on successful initiatives coming from the local populations. The result? Fertile soil, sufficient water for everybody and food for millions.

A silent catastrophe has been taking place across Africa for years. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives. Millions of people are dependent on food aid. The lives of tens of millions of people are threatened in future. The cause: Climate change, population growth, poverty, overexploitation of rivers, loss of fertile soil and the fragmentary approach to the problems by aid, development and environmental organisations. We want to stop this disaster in its tracks. And we can do it. If we all join hands, building on the many, good local success stories – if we link up partners to projects thereby taking local success stories up to an even higher level.

What do we want to do?The complex Sahel problem has several causes and therefore requires several solutions. The idea is based on an integral strategy with which we want to get this extensive and ambitious projects going, along with help from the National Postcode Lottery. The original plan drawn up by the African presidents was to lay a 15 kilometre wide woodland, 8,000 kilometres long, right through Africa - the Great Green Wall. However it appeared not to be sustainable. But the idea to call a halt to desertification using a ‘green wall’ remained a very appealing concept. It has now become our Dream: the Great Green Wall in which a multitude of approaches are brought together – where all sorts of “trees” flourish together. It is aimed at the recovery of a vulnerable ecosystem, improved food security and the sustainable use of water. The Great Green Wall is a movement that challenges, inspires and combines, right through the Sahel. It is a movement that starts at the bottom with the local people and links into government plans. It lies on the robust foundations of local, demonstrably successful and sustainable initiatives. There have been many successes over the last few years that are all based on local initiatives. Already in Niger an area greater than the Netherlands has been ‘re-greened’ and is again fertile using these methods. This has resulted in food security for an additional 1.25 million people. By acting together with our local partners and through mobilising donations and facilitating governments, it is possible with these few moves to go on to create scores of initiatives. And in turn that becomes thousands. Together they form the green stones in the ‘Great Green Wall’ which will be able to turn back the threat. This is our dream!

The Great Green Wall of Africa starts from the bottom with local, proven, successful initiates for turning the tide

CooperationThe Great Green Wall Partners and their fellow organisations in the Sahel believe that it can be brought to life, through improved cooperation and with other social initiatives along with African governments and the UN organisations. Once this happens, we will make a start with the biggest climate adaptation, food security and nature recovery programme in the world while working with a unique alliance of humanitarian, environmental and development organisations. And in the Sahel of course, one of the most vulnerable regions on Earth!

Over the last three months we have been sharing our dream with UNEP, Agrhymet, World Food Programme, the Great Green Wall secretariat, FAO and the African Union Commission. For years these people have been looking at the possibilities and opportunities for nature recovery and security of food supplies. They all believe that the dream can come true, but also that’s it’s going to be difficult and risky to do it in the Sahel. Naturally we are very aware of this aspect. If we can do it in the Sahel, we can do it anywhere.

Making dreams come true We would like to use the money from the Droomfonds as seed capital, this is needed to get the flywheel spinning, generate scale and provide greater recognition for the Great Green Wall. By far the largest part of the budget will be invested in scaling up the local initiatives. Although an important part will go towards spreading the Great Green Wall message. This will be to local and international documentary makers and journalists. This way we would like to encourage other local organisations to join in and also keep the momentum going on the flywheel once it has been started.

Practice what you preach We are going to invest a lot in interchanging and testing proven concepts. Spectacular results have already been achieved by our organisations in the areas of ‘re-greening’ and ‘drought cycle management’ – making people able to deal with extreme drought through proper water management for example - providing micro-credits to local people for sustainable farming in exchange for recovering nature. Employing all sorts of ways to tell farmers from different countries about successful methods for sustainable land use, including making visits and showing them films.

We believe that bringing together all these local initiatives is the foundation of the Great Green Wall. Although much more is needed for laying the basis and with it the durability of the local successes. That is why we are also investing in collaboration with knowledge centres, businesses, governments, the UN and donor organisations. We facilitate activities so that leaders of African countries, the UN and donors get involved in the progress of local initiatives. For example we ensure that they form an integral part of the Great Green Wall plans drawn up by African governments. The seed capital from the National Postcode Lottery can help convince other charities to participate in our approach. Then the flywheel momentum will be doing its work properly.

Great Green World The Great Green Wall is the African answer to the problem in the Sahel, the most destitute area in the world. That’s why we are starting here. We want to work on the Great Green Wall by inspiring and joining people together – starting in Europe. For instance by taking part in the National Tree Planting Day along with the hundreds of schools. Another idea is to set up special Great Green Wall campaigns at store chains and shopping centres. Thanks to our good, international contacts we also see the possibility of quickly extending these ideas to other countries such as Sweden, the UK and Spain. Then perhaps the ‘Great Green World’ could grow out of the Great Green Wall in Africa.

Building the Great Green Wall of Africa together – our dream that’ll come true with Droomfonds!

an initiative from

The Great Green Wall Partners

are: The Netherlands Red Cross,

IUCN, Cordaid, CARE Nederland,

Wetlands International, Both

ENDS and NOOR Photography.