Great Green Wall Day
Agenda
09:00-10:30
How to overcome barriers to make Great Green Wall a success in 2030?
Organisers/sponsor: Danaya
During the Africa-France Summit (organized in France in October 2021), the consultations led by CARI and CSFD emphasized the importance of supporting the emergence of multi-stakeholders’ initiatives designed in the territories, and to better valorize the local actions already carried out in the field for the benefit of the objectives of the GGW. This side-event will take the form of a dialogue between practitioners and experts that will focus on the objectives and expected results by 2030 in the framework of the GGW; How a diversity of initiatives led by civil society contribute to achieve the objectives of the GGW; and how to better integrate all these initiatives (past, current and future) under the umbrella of the GGW national program / GGW national coalitions. Following these presentations, a round table will allow to identify and remove the barriers that slow down a broad and convergent mobilization of all actors around the GGW objectives. The debate will focus on the urgent policy and donor actions for a successful GGW by 2030.
10:45 to 12:15
Monitoring Tree Cover and Enhancing Decision Making Tools Across Africa’s Great Green Wall
Organizers: OSS, WRI, BothEnds, CILSS
This side event seeks to showcase how monitoring tree cover can enhance decision making tools and accelerate restoration across Great Green Wall and Africa in general. Partners will present the dataset on the vision from the ground and from above (Trees in Mosaic Landscape), and the DSS role in regional vision. These presentations will be followed by a panel discussion on how innovative data on the impact and extend of landscape restoration can accelerate regreening progress across Africa, and what gaps still exist. The panel will also explore how countries can build cohesive and systematic monitoring systems and decision-making tools to track the impact of FLR.
12:30-14:00
Inter-regional engagement to inform unified policy making in sustainable land management and restoration / Great Green Wall Initiative in the dry lands
Organisers/sponsor: African Union Commission
This side-event seeks to provide a contribution to the UNCCD land degradation neutrality agenda and the 10-year implementation plan by bringing together Experts and High Level officials from the dry lands and international development partners to share views on the upscaling and extension of the GGW initiative in the Southern Africa region. More specifically, (1) the officials from the Southern Africa will share their experiences and make official announcement on the future of the GGWI in the region, (2) official pronouncements on the way forward on Pan African collaboration in implementation of the initiative, (3) in share views and policy perspectives on combating desertification, (Sahel and Southern Africa), (4) advocacy and resource mobilisation at Pan African level. The event will enhance the much sort after synergies in implementation, common understanding of the issues around land restoration and the GGWI, coordination and sharing of ideas in the long run, easing the field activities and accomplishment of the UNCCD’s vision. Launch of the GLO SADC thematic report – propose Johns Kharika as speaker – print 100 copies?.
14:15-15:45
Participation of the Green Heart Foundation in the pan-African project for the construction of the Great Green Wall from Dakar to Djibouti: Assessment and perspectives
Organisers/sponsor: Green Heart
The side event we are organizing will be held around the presentation of the results of the 15 years of reforestation of the Green Heart Foundation as part of the Great Green Wall of Africa project. The Green Heart Foundation intends to present the results of its contribution to this pan-African project and make concrete recommendations based on proven experience in the fight against deforestation and desertification. The central focus of this presentation will be youth as a force for action to solve the climate crisis in Africa and around the world. The contribution of this event to COP 15 will be to propose a model of transnational eco-citizenship to counter the advance of the desert. This model is based on the development of youth eco-theft.
16:00 - 17:30
Great Green Wall: for an Inclusive and climate change resilient development in Sahel through low carbon transition and agroforestry
Organisers/sponsor: Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI); Alliance Sahel, UNCCD
Jointly organized by the Sahel Alliance, the UNCCD and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the side-event will highlight the synergies between the efforts of Sahel Alliance members, the GGGI through their low-carbon and sustainable transition strategy, as well as the Great Green Wall Initiative and its Accelerator. Panelists, including practitioners from the African Development Bank, GGGI, CORAF, FAO, WFP and GIZ, will put into perspective their efforts in terms of land restoration, rural development, community resilience and job creation, with the aim of enhancing the impact of concrete climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in one of the world’s regions most affected by global warming and desertification: the Sahel.
17:45-19:15
Development and insecurity in the Sahel: from local collectivities and communities’ challenges and priorities to international solidarity
Organisers/sponsor: La route du sel et de l'espoir
In the Sahel, while conflicts linked to terrorist groups are the subject of a military response by the countries concerned, the situation of insecurity has led to, or highlighted, other forms of conflict that are just as serious for the future of societies: conflicts linked to the scarcity of natural resources due in particular to climate change, or inter-community conflicts, particularly inter-ethnic or inter-religious conflicts, which have led to tragedies, particularly in Mali and Burkina Faso, exacerbating the situation of insecurity and social cohesion in these countries even more. This environmental and socio-economic context, in countries that are more than 70% dependent on natural resources (land, water, vegetation and biodiversity), and where youth represent more than 50% of the population, is clearly a fertile ground for the proliferation of extremist groups.