Consider the following statements with reference to the Great Green Wa...
- UNCCD has recently renewed its partnership with Senegalese musician, Baaba Maal, who is one of the six UNCCD Land Ambassadors. Hailing from the region of the Senegal River which is home to millions of people living in four Western African countries: Senegal, Mali, Guinea and Mauritania, the music legend has vowed to fight desertification and climate change in the Sahel, by planting trees and making it a land of green, as part of Great Green Wall Initiative which works to transform lives of humanity’s most vulnerable people by creating green jobs, harnessing the Sahel’s abundant solar energy and building and prosperous future on land.
- The Great Green Wall initiative was launched in 2007 by the African Union, this game-changing African-led initiative aims to restore Africa’s degraded landscapes and transform millions of lives in one of the world’s poorest regions, the Sahel. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
- Once complete, the Wall will be the largest living structure on the planet – an 8,000 km natural wonder of the world stretching across the entire width of the continent. It spans across the Sahel region from Senegal in the West to Djibouti in the East of Africa. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
- The Great Green Wall is now being implemented in more than 20 countries across Africa and more than eight billion dollars have been mobilized and pledged for its support.
- The initiative brings together African countries and international partners, under the leadership of the African Union Commission and Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall.
- By 2030, the ambition of the initiative is to restore 100 million ha of currently degraded land; sequester 250 million tons of carbon and create 10 million green jobs.
Consider the following statements with reference to the Great Green Wa...
The correct answer is option 'A' - 1 only.
Explanation:
1. GGW Programme spans between the Sahel region from Senegal in the West to Djibouti in the East of Africa: This statement is correct. The Great Green Wall (GGW) Programme is an initiative aimed at combating desertification, land degradation, and climate change in the Sahel region of Africa. The Sahel region stretches across several countries, including Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, and Djibouti. The GGW Programme aims to create a green belt of vegetation across these countries, spanning approximately 8,000 kilometers from West to East.
2. The GGW programme was launched by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): This statement is incorrect. While the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been involved in supporting the GGW Programme, it was actually launched by the African Union in 2007. The initiative has received support from various international organizations, including the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Bank.
The Great Green Wall Programme aims to address the environmental challenges faced by the Sahel region, which has been severely affected by desertification, droughts, and land degradation. The initiative aims to restore degraded lands, promote sustainable land management practices, and improve the resilience of local communities to climate change.
Some key objectives of the GGW Programme include:
- Restoring and rehabilitating degraded lands through reforestation and afforestation efforts.
- Promoting sustainable agricultural practices, such as agroforestry and conservation agriculture, to enhance food security and livelihoods.
- Strengthening local communities' capacity to adapt to climate change and manage natural resources sustainably.
- Encouraging cross-border collaboration and cooperation among participating countries to address common environmental challenges.
The GGW Programme has gained significant attention and support from the international community. It is seen as a crucial initiative to combat desertification, poverty, and climate change in the Sahel region, while also contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In conclusion, the correct statement is that the GGW Programme spans between the Sahel region from Senegal in the West to Djibouti in the East of Africa. However, the second statement that the GGW programme was launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is incorrect.
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