In Africa, the fight against desert encroachment is taking on a new dimension with China’s arrival. The country offers an original approach that goes beyond mere ecological restoration. Unlike Western methods focused on nature protection, China emphasizes eco-development. This means it combines tree planting with the construction of major infrastructure, the installation of renewable energy, and the transformation of local livelihoods. This model was refined over decades as part of China’s Three-North Program, a vast reforestation and arid soil stabilization project.<\/p>\n
Africa, with its Great Green Wall initiative, aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. However, despite significant funding, results remain limited. Only 4% of the target has been achieved to date. African projects face logistical and financial challenges. Funds pledged by international donors struggle to reach the field, and planted trees rarely survive without proper irrigation.<\/p>\n
China, on the other hand, has succeeded in transforming arid areas into productive spaces. It uses techniques such as solar irrigation, dune stabilization with straw grids, and the integration of solar farms in reforested areas. These innovations not only green the deserts but also create jobs and support agriculture. For example, roads crossing the desert are protected by vegetation belts, while solar panels provide electricity and shelter crops.<\/p>\n
However, transplanting this model to Africa is not straightforward. Differences in governance and resources complicate the adoption of Chinese methods. In Mauritania, a Sino-African technology park is testing solar irrigation for year-round farming, but results remain modest due to local constraints. In Ethiopia and Nigeria, pilot projects show encouraging signs, but their expansion requires strong political will and sustainable investment.<\/p>\n
The challenge goes beyond mere technique. It is about choosing between two visions: restoring nature for its own sake or developing it to meet human needs. China shows that it is possible to do both, provided the solutions are adapted to African realities. Ongoing partnerships could offer a middle ground, blending Chinese innovation with local expertise. The future of the Great Green Wall will depend on the ability to reconcile ecology and development without sacrificing one for the other.<\/p>\n
DOI:<\/strong> https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s13280-026-02363-5<\/a><\/p>\n Title:<\/strong> From the Gobi to the Sahel: Can China\u2019s anti-desertification model work in Africa?<\/p>\n Journal:<\/strong> Ambio<\/p>\n Publisher:<\/strong> Springer Science and Business Media LLC<\/p>\n Authors:<\/strong> Annah Lake Zhu; Jesse Rodenbiker; Xiaona Guo; Amadou Ndiaye; Yongdong Wang; Yuan You; Zinabu Bora; Xiaosong Li; Jiaqiang Lei; Ruishan Chen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Can China Export Its Desertification Control Model to Africa? In Africa, the fight against desert encroachment is taking on a new dimension with China’s arrival. The country offers an original approach that goes beyond mere ecological restoration. Unlike Western methods focused on nature protection, China emphasizes eco-development. This means it combines tree planting with the… Continue reading Can China Export Its Desertification Control Model to Africa?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,6,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-environment","category-politics","category-society","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theinternationaljournal.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theinternationaljournal.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theinternationaljournal.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theinternationaljournal.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theinternationaljournal.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/theinternationaljournal.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38,"href":"https:\/\/theinternationaljournal.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37\/revisions\/38"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theinternationaljournal.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theinternationaljournal.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theinternationaljournal.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}