- A recent study has examined the progress to realize Africa’s Great Green Wall initiative in Senegal, which is often hailed as the model for this continent-wide project.
- The study finds Senegal has achieved encouraging social and economic results — but far less success on the ecological front.
- The study’s authors, echoing complaints from African officials, say that far less money has actually reached implementing countries and organizations than has been announced at global forums.
Earlier in 2025, political and administrative leaders in Senegal gathered to plant trees in a forest in the country’s northwest to mark National Tree Day. They took advantage of the ceremony to call for action towards a greener, more resilient and sustainable country. Senegal is one of 11 countries participating in Africa’s Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative which aims to achieve these goals. However, a newly published study finds the GGW has not delivered ecological benefits on the scale promised by pledges of more than $20 billion in support.
Any time that a reforestation project begins to accept donations from governments or corporations, it is doomed to fail to realise its original aspirations. When large sums of money are involved, corruption and kleptomania run rampant. When small sums of money are involved, the internal squabbling over how to use the limited funds prevents actual work from getting done.
I recommend that people go out and volunteer their time planting trees rather than donate money. Some projects accept non-monetary donations (seeds, tools, etc), so those are an option as well.