Africa’s ambitious Great Green Wall project is shifting away from simply planting millions of trees and embracing a method developed by farmers in Niger that has helped regenerate an estimated 200 million trees naturally.
The Great Green Wall launched by the African Union in 2007 was initially envisioned as an 8,000 kilometre belt of trees stretching from Senegal to Djibouti to combat desertification and land degradation across the Sahel. However, many planted seedlings struggled to survive the region’s harsh conditions.
The breakthrough came from Australian agronomist Tony Rinaudo, who in the 1980s discovered that seemingly barren farmland in Niger still contained living tree stumps and extensive root systems beneath the soil. Rather than planting new trees farmers could protect existing shoots, remove competing growth and allow the underground systems to regenerate.
The approach, known as Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) requires no nurseries, transportation or regular watering. Farmers protect naturally regenerating trees from livestock and uncontrolled cutting while pruning them to encourage stronger growth.
The method also became economically attractive after changes in land and tree ownership gave farmers greater incentives to protect trees. Regenerated trees can provide shade, fodder, firewood, fruit, wind protection and improve soil fertility.
Research and field surveys in Niger later found that about 5 million hectares had been re-greened, with an estimated 200 million trees protected or regenerated. In some areas, tree cover increased dramatically and agricultural yields improved, while the time required for women to collect firewood reportedly fell substantially.
The Great Green Wall initiative has increasingly incorporated FMNR and other locally adapted restoration techniques, including water harvesting methods such as Burkina Faso’s zai pits. Niger formally recognised FMNR as a national restoration approach in 2020.
The wider Great Green Wall, however, remains behind its ambitious targets, with funding shortages, conflict and the enormous scale of restoration slowing progress.
The experience from Niger offers a broader lesson: successful restoration may not always require planting something new. In some degraded landscapes the most effective approach can be to protect the vegetation, root systems and ecological knowledge that are already there.