Water and Environmental Change in Africa

The Green Wall Initiative of Africa. Picture from: National Geographic What is the Green Wall Initiative? In recent years, Northern Africa in particular has seen a decline in the quality of arable land notably due to climate change and poor land management. Desertification, land degradation and drought along with climate change and extreme weather events has a drastic impact on the food security and livelihoods of communities living in the Sahel region of Northern Africa. The Green Wall for the Saharan and the Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI) was proposed in 2005 with the objective of growing 8000 km long line of trees and plants across the entire Sahel from Senegal to Djibouti crossing 12 African nations to try and halt desertification The objectives are: "By 2030 restore 50 million hectares of land, sequest 250 million tons of carbon; support 300 million people in communities along the Sahel and provide access for 10 million smallholder farmers to climate resilient agricultural technol

The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa spanning across six countries. It is one of the three main rainforests worldwide and plays a key role in regulating monsoon patterns across much of Africa. There are about 10,000 species of tropical plants in the Congo Basin and approximately 30% are endemic to the area. Additionally many endangered animals call the Congo home from mountain gorilla, chimpanzees and forest elephants. The Congo rainforest has been inhabited by humans for over 50,000 years and is key to providing them with shelter, food and freshwater. Increasing rates of deforestation is threatening this fragile ecosystem and not only is the biodiversity within under threat, but the entire hydrological cycle of Africa as well.  Picture courtesy of: Planet.com  representing the  Congo Basin in green The Congo basin is highly dependent on precipitation as there are few low intensity aquifers in the region to sustain farming and human activity. Much of the economic activities re