Analysis of Africa's Great Green Wall Project in the Context of Climate and Water Policies

Abstract

Climate changes nowadays have begun to be accepted as a global threat, with effects such as meteorological events that cause severe damage, deaths due to excessive heat increases in summer, fires, and decrease in agricultural products, inefficiency, and water problems. While the effects of climate change are seen all over the world, Africa has been more affected by this process. Access to clean water is among the important causes of civil wars in Africa. Climatic conditions that bring unemployment, wars, diseases, thirst, and drought trigger large waves of mass migration from Africa. The African Sahel Region where Africa's largest irregular migrant is an area that includes the countries where drought, conflict, desertification, and where extreme poverty is experienced. If the current conditions continue like this, it is seen that these migrations will also affect the quality of life of developed countries. Although this situation is still experienced, it is predicted that these problems will increase in the short term. The Great African Green wall project was initiated by the African Union in 2007. This project can be defined as a project of making the Sahara Desert productive for agriculture, living and employment by afforestation. The most important effects of the Great Green Wall of Africa, together with sustainable effects of climate and water policies, are women's employment, protecting of their living spaces for the peoples of the region and strengthening their sense of belonging. This study aims to draw attention to international reforestation projects in the solution of climate and water problems on a global scale, by reviewing the literature in terms of the Great African Green Wall Project.