The Iniciatica Sahara Sahel, the main initiative of the African Union against climate change, is planting millions of trees from west to east of the African continent along 8,000 km, crossing fourteen countries, to contain desertification, contribute to the mitigation of global warming, improve food security in en the region, and support local farming communities in the sustainable management of forests, pastures and other natural resources in rainfed areas.

The project for this long green corridor, 15 km wide, which surrounds the Sahara desert, began to materialize ten years ago, and almost 7,000 million euros have been invested in it. The type of tree chosen for this green wall is acacia, due to its resistance to drought and the shade it produces, which saves water on farms.

20 African Union countries are participating in the project: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia and Djibouti.