New Interactive Map of Oldest Trees

Great Green Wall

China's Great Green Wall

An amazing project in northern China is trying to slow the expansion of the deserts. Since 1978, the Three-North Shelter Forest Program, commonly known as the "Great Green Wall", has planted more than 66 billion trees along its borders with Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan — and Chinese authorities plan to plant 34 billion more over the next 25 years! If they succeed, the Great Green Wall will increase Earth's forest cover by 10% since the late 1970s.
If everything goes to plan, the Great Green Wall will be 4,500 km long by 2050 - a huge feat of environmental engineering!
Critics say that the survival of the trees is too low to show definitive results, as many of the same species are planting together, making the wall susceptible to disease. For example, in 2000, 1 billion poplar trees were lost to a single pathogen in Ningxia province. Many trees are also dying because they are being planted in places that do not have enough water to keep them healthy without human intervention. (LiveScience, 2025)
However, some studies suggest that the wall has greatly improved vegetation levels and reduced dust storm intensity. (Tan and Li, 2014). Furthermore, research has shown that the vast planting has restored thriving ecosystems in the Loess Plateau, and reactivated the water cycle. (An et al., 2025 ; LiveScience, 2025)

Photo from France24

Inspired by China's environmental work, the African Union launched their own Great Green Wall in 2007 across 22 African countries in the Sahel region. Once complete, this will be the largest living structure on the planet, 3 times the size of the Great Barrier Reef. (Great Green Wall)
This project will benefit the region by restoring 100 million hectares of currently degraded land; absorbing 250 million tons of carbon; and creating 10 million green jobs by 2030, creating a "new world wonder" spanning 8000km (UN Convention to Combat Desertification).
The many great ambitions of the project include:
Improving health and wellbeing for the world’s poorest communities.
- Growing sustainable energy, powering communities towards a brighter future.
- Creating economic opportunities and 10 million green jobs by 2030.
- Growing resilience to climate change.
- Creating a symbol of peace in countries affected by conflict.
- Accelerating rural development across the continent.
- Creating reasons for Africans to stay and live good lives in their countries.

A frame from "The Great Green Wall" documentary

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