Posted on 04/11/2026 6:46:09 AM PDT by BenLurkin
In an arid valley near the village of Kourtimale in southern Djibouti, a tattered chain link fence marks the boundaries of what was once Abdi Guelleh's farm.
...was once meant to be one tiny brick in one of the world's most ambitious environmental projects: Africa's Great Green Wall.
...
This multi-billion dollar project was launched by the African Union in 2007. The plan: to plant a "wall" of trees spanning the entire width of Africa — 4,350 miles long and 10 miles wide — to fight desertification in the Sahel, the arid region to the south of the Sahara desert.
The Wall's vision was boundless, and its backers called it a "new world wonder." It would re-green nearly 250 million acres of land across 11 countries from Senegal to Djibouti, and in doing so, would sequester 250 million tons of carbon, provide "green jobs" for 10 million people and alleviate poverty, food insecurity and conflict across the region.
...
[T]he United Nations estimated that $33 billion would be needed to complete the Wall. In each of the 11 countries, a national agency or dedicated ministerial department was set up to implement and track the project, with a coordinating entity, the Pan-African Great Green Wall Agency, based in Mauritania. International organizations — United Nations agencies, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Union, the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility and others — pledged billions.
Eighteen years later, vast amounts of money have been spent, yet most of the planned Wall remains no more green than Abdi Guelleh's barren field. What began as one of the world's most ambitious ecological undertakings has in many ways devolved into a cautionary tale of poorly planned projects, lacking in local participation and entangled in a labyrinth of opaque financing.
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
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“They need cows and migratory people more than trees. The key is to change the albedo and increase transpiration to draw the monsoon to the north east.”
Trees increase transpiration.
Eighteen years later, vast amounts of money have been spent, yet most of the planned Wall remains no more green than Abdi Guelleh’s barren field. What began as one of the world’s most ambitious ecological undertakings has in many ways devolved into a cautionary tale of poorly planned projects, lacking in local participation and entangled in a labyrinth of opaque financing.
“It would re-green nearly 250 million acres of land... would sequester 250 million tons of carbon, provide “green jobs” for 10 million people and alleviate poverty, food insecurity and conflict across the region.”
The only thing it would re-green are the pockets of the NGOs and “non-profits”.
i heard that the great green wall was supposed to pass right through the middle of Wakanda ...
...
About the only African aid project I’ve heard of that sounded like it would work were the little ones with an income coming from it, small loans to buy a woman a sewing machine and material to get her started for example, manageable projects that motivated individuals can utilize to enrich their family, leading to small incremental growth among the larger group. This household has a little income and that household has a little income and capitalism slowly starts creating buying and selling within that group.
You were told a story, just not the rest of the story.
I once read an article about a group of tourists who visited a town in central Africa. The town had no electricity, but was near a large waterfall. An engineer in the group realized that a turbine placed under the waterfall would generate enough electricity for the entire town.
So the group raised money for a turbine. It never made it to the town. From the moment the turbine landed on the coast, local officials were demanding “transit fees” (bribes) to let the turbine pass.
The group payed the first fee. And then they paid another fee a little further on down the road. And then another. Eventually the group ran out of money. The turbine was abandoned on the side of a road.
“They need cows...”
##################
And beavers. Not a joke.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Green_Wall_(Africa)
The original dimensions of the “wall” were to be 15 km (9 mi) wide and 7,775 km (4,831 mi) long, but the program expanded to encompass nations in both northern and western Africa. The concept evolved into promoting water harvesting techniques, greenery protection and improving indigenous land use techniques, aimed at creating a mosaic of green and productive landscapes across North Africa.[1] Later it adopted the view that desert boundaries change based on rainfall variations.[2]
........
Originally a tree planting initiative, the project evolved into a development programming tool. In 2007, the Conference of Heads of State and Government (CHSG)[citation needed] directed the project to tackle the social, economic and environmental impacts of land degradation and desertification.[9]
the government will one day fix the pump
______________________
Socialism at work.
Why does he not fix the pump himself?
From what I heard from people who know better, it is the main problem in Africa.
People somehow lost any initiative to help themselves.
No motivation to make any improvements.
Just waiting for government to provide.
After 70+ years of African Socialism.
This is my shocked face
I thought trees needed water to grow. Not much rain if any in a desert.
[T]he United Nations estimated that $33 billion would be needed to complete the Wall.
If ya give ‘em water, there’s a risk that they won’t die of thirst! Virtual signaling leftists don’t want that to happen!
This! ↑↑ ↑↑ ↑↑ ↑↑ ↑↑ ↑↑
LOL. Especially that “labyrinth of opaque financing” Seem that feature is required in every environmental project.
😮😯😲🙀😁
The Chinese have been doing this in the Gobi, since the 70s. Seems to have stabilized some erosion.
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