The Great Green Wall is an ambitious ecological initiative aimed at halting desertification in the Sahel region of Africa. Launched in 2005, this project involves the creation of a belt of artificially planted trees and shrubs approximately 15 kilometers wide and over 7,700 kilometers long. This green belt is intended to prevent the Sahara Desert from expanding southward, thereby protecting areas with naturally occurring trees and agricultural lands from degradation and soil fertility loss.

The initiative includes 11 African countries that are collaborating to build this green wall, which aims to serve as a barrier against the spread of the desert. The project also seeks to improve living conditions for local communities by supporting agriculture, retaining water in the soil, and restoring biodiversity.

While the project is impressive, its effectiveness is often questioned. Challenges such as harsh climatic conditions, lack of adequate resources, and difficulties in maintaining the planted vegetation have made the implementation of this endeavor challenging.

A similar initiative has been undertaken in China, known as the Green Wall of China. This project, aimed at protecting against the expansion of the Gobi Desert, also involves planting trees and shrubs to halt desertification and protect fertile agricultural lands.

Both projects, although ambitious, demonstrate global efforts to combat the advancing desertification, which is one of the key environmental challenges facing the world today.

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