West Africa: From Hunger to Harvests - How Land Restoration Is Transforming the Sahel

In West Africa's Sahel region, the World Food Programme (WFP) is spearheading a land restoration initiative that has transformed degraded ecosystems, improving food security, incomes, and community bonds. Once plagued by cracked earth and parched soil, villages like Doungoulou in central Chad's Guera Province are now witnessing a revival of their lands.

With support from WFP, local communities built a 6,000-meter-long dike to capture seasonal rains, preventing soil erosion and enabling the water to seep into the ground. This not only regenerates the land but also replenishes groundwater, benefiting crops and livestock. As a result, food security and incomes have improved, fostering stronger community bonds.

Sorghum farmer Anasa Hamdane emphasized that the community no longer talks about hunger, as their harvests have improved significantly. In just one hectare, harvests have tripled, from 0.5 to 2 tons, thanks to the restored land. This transformation is replicating across the Sahel, underlining the project's broader impacts beyond environmental restoration.

Since 2018, more than 4 million people have benefited from WFP's resilience programs, which integrate land restoration, school meals, and nutrition interventions. Over 335,000 hectares of productive land have been rehabilitated so far, benefiting communities in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.

WFP's Sahel initiative has been recognized by the United Nations as a flagship project under its broader drive to revive damaged ecosystems. By 2030, WFP aims to restore an additional 475,000 hectares of productive land across the region. Kinday Samba, WFP's Regional Director for Western and Central Africa, emphasized that land degradation is not irreversible, and their initiative showcases the potential for positive change.

With greater investment, these efforts can scale up and build lasting resilience against climate extremes.