SENEGAL/THE "GREAT GREEN WALL" TO FIGHT DESERTIFICATION
The country to grow an extra 3.5 millions plants.
Rome, (Apcom) - At least 2,000 people, largely youth, will plant about 3.5 million plants in an area covering 10,000 hectares to reinforce the "great green wall", a barrier of trees created to fight the advance of the Sahara desert into Senegal. The area involved is located between the towns of Labgar and Lougharé Thioly, in the west of the country. Several species will be planted such as acacia, balanites aegyptiaca, ziziphus mauritiana and tamarind tree.
The 10,000 hectares will add to the 6,000 hectares already planted and are part of a larger project to stop desertification by creating a green belt running for 515 kilometres north of the country to the border with Mauritania. Senegal's president Abdoulaye Wade stressed that the project aims to be a concrete answer to the loss of farmland while the continent's population continues to increase.
Harambee - All Together for Africa
Segreteria Internazionale Harambee Africa International Onlus www.harambee-africa.org
Via dei Pianellari, 41 - 00186 Roma - Tel. +39(06)45423039 - Fax. +39(06)45423676