Donor funds for creation of Great Green African Wall.
Various donors and funds promised to make donations to support the pan-African Great Green African Wall (GGW) against the desert. This became clear during a meeting of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in the last week of February. In sum, these donations could mount up to around 3 billion US dollars. The envisaged 15 kilometers wide and up to 8000 kilometers long wall consisting of plants and trees will cross 11 countries south of the Sahara. The difference between failure and success will depend on the way the project is executed.
The GGW is aimed at limiting the desertification of the Sahel zone. It will stretch from Djibouti in the Horn of Africa in the East, to Dakar, Senegal, in the West. Plans already existed in the 1980's but were never executed. The idea was voiced again some 20 years later by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who presented it to the African Union (AU) in 2005. Since then, the project has gained international support outside Africa, which now resulted in the planned donations.
It is of course essential that restoring the soils, hydrology and vegetation in drought prone Sub-Sahara Africa receives full political and financial support. Still, some remarks have to be made when it comes to the way the plans are executed. Richard Escadafal, chair of the French Scientific Committee on Desertification, rightly points out that "Projects in which reforestation was put in practice without the participation of local inhabitants were almost always limited and non-sustainable". In other words, local farmers' expertise and skills will have to be used in order to make the 'wall' a self-sustaining success. It has been proven that methods of natural regeneration can work even in very dry lands, with a minimum of water and other means. A good example is the 'Zai technique', which makes use of water infiltration cum compost pits and which was developed and improved by local farmers..
Also, security of use and ownership rights over the land and tree vegetation which farmers restore, is an essential pre-condition for success. This is proven by, for example, the stunning re-greening results in the provinces of Maradi and Zinder in Niger, where farmers - with some strategic support from civil society organisations and privates foundations - restored an estimated 5 million hectares back into a stable tree landscape.
In sum, it is crucial that local restoration methods are used, with proper choice of tree species and soil management techniques. Farmers need to be in the driving seat and are to be ensured they enjoy the control over the fruits of their labour. This begs the question: what institutional arrangements will be developed to ensure these financial commitments are used for real action on the ground? Will local farmers, NGOs, and institutions like semi- governmental extension agencies, local ministries of agriculture and environment, forestry services and domestic universities, be granted enough power to take control in the process to make it a success? Or will high level agencies and investors without proper presence and support amongst the local population dominate and determine the path that is to be taken?
Both ENDS in collaboration with governmental extension agencies, NGOs, universities and private foundations in Sub-Saharan countries gives strong emphasis to local farmer-led dry land rehabilitation. Local and international partners include CRESA(Niger), Reseaux MARP and New Tree (Burkina Faso), SahelEco (Mali), Forum for the Environment and Tree Aid (Ethiopia), CIS-Free University Amsterdam, IUCN-NL, Turing Foundation, DGIS and the scientific and NGO partners of the Drynet network and the international action-research programme DESIRE.
<p >For more information on the subject also see the following links <p >Trailer 'The man who stopped the desert' <p >Desert Alert
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Blog / 15 April 2024
The year of truth: EU Member States urged to combat deforestation
The EU is the world's largest "importer of deforestation," due to the huge volumes of unsustainably produced soy, timber, palm oil, and other raw materials that EU member states import. After many years of delay, the European Parliament and the European Council passed a law in December 2023 to address this problem: The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Both ENDS is part of a broad coalition of organizations that have been pushing for this European legislation. However, there is now a serious delay, and perhaps even postponement, of the law's implementation. Objections have been raised by a number of member states, who are sensitive to lobbying by certain business sectors and producer countries.
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News / 4 April 2024
EU ECA fossil fuel phase-out tracker reveals EU Member States’ lagging commitment to Paris Agreement goals in export credit policies
Our new report titled EU ECA fossil fuel phase-out tracker by Both ENDS, Counter Balance and Oil Change International sheds light on the concerning lack of harmony between EU Member States' export credit climate policies.
The report was updated on April 17th, following new responses by Member States on their respective policies.
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Blog / 4 April 2024
If we women don't speak up, no one will speak for us
By Maaike Hendriks and Tamara MohrThis February women environmental defenders from around the world met each other in Indonesia. All these defenders face structural violence. GAGGA, the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action, supports these women. This meeting in Indonesia provided a unique space for women, trans-, intersex and non-binary people who are often the subject of conversation but rarely have the opportunity to engage with each other and meet other defenders from around the world. For they are all amazingly knowledgeable, strong and resilient women whom we should take seriously.
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News / 2 April 2024
The Climate lawsuit against Shell
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News / 29 March 2024
Both ENDS visit Tweede Kamer to talk about destructiveness of dredging worldwide
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Read their plea
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News / 27 March 2024
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Press release / 25 March 2024
Dredging destruction; worldwide research into Dutch dredgers
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The Netherlands is providing billions of euros in support for dredging projects by Boskalis and Van Oord around the world. All of these projects are destroying human lives and the environment. The Dutch government’s policy to protect people and planet is failing systemically. And after twelve years of studies and talking, there are no real improvements. It is time for a thorough clean-up of government support for the dredging sector.
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Publication / 25 March 2024
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News / 19 March 2024
Both ENDS - Remarkably Special
At Both ENDS, we hold our own responsibility, self-direction, an open feedback culture, and personal development in high regard. Chaos, you might think? Not at all, it leads to an effective way of working with much enjoyment. The flat organizational structure that Both ENDS has been implementing since 2016 is founded on collectivity. In this, you can also see our aim of 'Connecting people for change' reflected.
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News / 12 March 2024
Equality as a key for international trade
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Event / 12 March 2024
From Policy To Practice: Funding Locally-led Gender-Just Climate Action
A discussion on the intersection of climate and gender justice - specifically on financing mechanisms for gender-just climate solutions!
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News / 6 March 2024
Inspire inclusion at Women's day!
Happy Women's Day!
Friday March 8th we celebrate a gender equal world; free of stereotypes, bias, and discrimination. Around the world women are powers of change. We proudly present you; the voices of the next generation of environmental leaders of the JWH initiative. All our grantees are driving change in the environmental sector and have a strong say about the inclusive world.
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News / 6 March 2024
Export Credit Agencies and development finance in the EU
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Press release / 4 March 2024
Dutch government calls for investigation into Malaysian timber certification
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Blog / 27 February 2024
Partners fighting for rights within natural resource exploration in Uganda
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Blog / 26 February 2024
Brumadinho: 5 years without justice
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Blog / 26 February 2024
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Blog / 26 February 2024
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News / 14 February 2024
Petition to protect the Saamaka people and the Amazon Forest
The Saamaka People, the Afro-descendant tribe of Suriname, have preserved close to 1.4 million hectares of the Amazon rainforest. They have for decades urged the government to recognise their ancestral territorial land rights.
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News / 8 February 2024
The litmus test for the devastating race track in Lombok
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