A wall of trees is being built across Africa to hold back the desert

By Adam Vaughan

A wall of trees could help prevent desertification in Africa

Great Green Wall

Its proponents say it will be a new world wonder. A plan for an 8000-kilometre-long, 15-kilometre-wide wall of trees stretching the width of Africa to hold back encroaching deserts and provide people with livelihoods has been embraced by 11 countries since its launch 13 years ago. Has it worked so far?

The first comprehensive status update on the Great Green Wall, released today, paints a mixed picture of efforts to reforest degraded land to a fertile state and provide livelihoods across the Sahel, the semi-arid region …