Empowering women through land restoration in village communities
20 September 2019
In its intervention model, the consultation and discussion framework set up by Action Against Desertification (AAD) actively encourage communities to establish a community management committee (COGES) for the restoration sites. The representative of the committee oversees and mobilizes communities for collective activities such as planting, sowing and maintaining the plots. [...]
International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem: Replanting mangrove gives community hope in the face of climate change
26 July 2019
When the deadly Cyclone Winston hit Fiji in February, 2016, it was reportedly the strongest storm ever recorded to make landfall in the Southern Hemisphere, and the coastal village of Nasavu was in the centre of its path.
“It was morning and we were terrified. We had never seen such big [...]
In Burkina Faso, the Great Green Wall is taking shape
05 July 2019
Gargaboulé, Burkina Faso - Two years of restoration work in northern Burkina Faso show that land degradation is not yet irreversible. Rural communities work with FAO’s Action Against Desertification, putting scientific know-how into practice to tackle some of Africa’s drylands long-time woes.
“We have chosen this plot,” says Sawadogo Mahammadi, standing [...]
FAO helps Eastern Africa to track land degradation
27 June 2019
Addis Ababa – The fight against desertification cannot be won without understanding the state of land use and land degradation, experts from Eastern Africa stressed at a technical workshop held from 27 to 31 May 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Advanced monitoring tools using the latest satellite technologies are key [...]
A big leap in land restoration is urgent, and possible
17 June 2019
Rome – 25 million trees planted, 53 000 hectares brought under restoration, 700 000 people reached. This is the balance of five years of regreening drylands in the Sahel and the Sahara by an innovative FAO restoration scheme called Action Against Desertification. For the coming 10 years, it is gearing [...]
Fijian women take lead in reviving native trees
20 May 2019
Nasavu, Fiji - Today in Fiji, land degradation causes more than 50 tons of soil per hectare to erode annually, four times the average for tropical regions. But if you ask Asinate Drauyawa Waqabitu about the health of the land, this 56-year-old leader of the women’s group in Nasavu village [...]
Two Belgian students assess the impact of Action Against Desertification in Senegal
18 April 2019
Rome - Lola Vrydagh and Maxime Vankoningsloo travelled to Senegal to assess the impact of land restoration activities of Action Against Desertification. With their work, the students from UCL (Université Catholique de Louvain) reinforce partnership between UCL and FAO, aiming to build bridges between science and development in support of [...]
The beginning of a positive transformation in Ethiopia’s drylands
27 March 2019
Arba, Ethiopia – “Not so long ago, the hills had fertile soils and were covered with trees,” says Teka Hayelom, a father of four from the village of Arba in the Tigray region, about 560 km north of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
Recalling the past, Teka laments the harsh reality of [...]
Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan to restore over 3 000 hectares of land in 2019
19 March 2019
Khartoum – Four Eastern African countries have committed to restore over 3 000 hectares of degraded land this year. The pledge was made in Khartoum, where experts and partners of countries supporting Africa’s Great Green Wall initiative discussed ways to boost land restoration in 2019.
The experts convened at a meeting from [...]
Barkissa Fofana is confident that science can tackle desertification
12 February 2019
Djibo, Burkina Faso – Science is key to FAO’s Action Against Desertification efforts in making degraded land green and productive again. Barkissa Fofana believes that microbiology can help and is carrying out research to prove it. An inspiring journey to the frontline of the battle against climate change and desertification.“Something [...]