At present, despite past climatic shocks (drought) and ongoing changes, Sahelian countries are selfsufficient in cereals when there is no price distortion or distortion due to external geopolitical factors. Field research not only opened up the debate on regreening but also the debate on agrosystem resilience. Brandt et al. (2017) confirmed that agriculture and its expansion in the Sahel also promoted forestry and regreening, contradicting the widespread belief of the negative
correlation between population density and forest cover. Indeed, at least 25 major papers were published between 1998 and 2010 showing the regreening of the Sahel before this point wasaccepted as fact.
Advancements in land governance have of course been supported by the return of the rains, though it should be noted that the Sahelian agrosystems, which are recovering fairly well (except in the middle Niger River Basin, where soil degradation seems to be ongoing*), suffered a terrible shock in the 1970s and 1980s when there was strong population growth. We must do all we can to make these agrosystems resilient to the coming shocks that are linked to the inevitable temperature increases.
There is growing evidence of regreening in the Sahel. It is widespread. It cuts across the entire area, and it’s dynamic. In fact, almost all of West Africa is experiencing this regreening.
Regreening is considered the ultimate weapon to fight global warming. It’s not just happening naturally in the Sahel. It’s Sahelians also growing a bagful of valuable trees. From the tasty mango tree, to the oil rich Silk cotton (Ceiba pentandra), Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) and Neem (Azadirachta indica) trees, multiple use Egyptian balsam (Balanites aegyptiaca), African mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) and African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) trees, and the nature nurturing Acacia (acacia albida) tree, among others.
Trees are natural air conditioners, and are vital for both the rural and urban areas. They provide food, but they are also fertilizing the land in the Sahel in ways that could be making a difference to resilience that is far better than elsewhere in the world.