Nature & Faune journal, Volume 32, Issue 1

Book excerpt: This edition of Nature & Faune journal explores the science and innovations (technical, social and policy) that can support the achievement of the African dream of restoring 100 million hectares of its degraded land. Articles in this edition share experiences on challenges, opportunities and successful restoration, including farmer managed natural regeneration, improved management of smallholder woodlots, reforestation, evergreen agriculture with intercropped trees, and associated sustainable land management practices such as water harvesting and erosion control. Africa’s Great Green Wall is presented in this edition as a transformative model for rural communities’ sustainable development. In particular the lessons learned from the “Action Against Desertification” programme funded by the European Union and implemented by FAO with partner countries and organizations, are discussed, paving a way towards the implementation of African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative. Initiatives to address land degradation and desertification trends in Africa, promote sustainable land management, and restoration of degraded forests and landscapes include Africa’s Great Green Wall initiative, and 2016’s African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative – AFR100. Most of the articles dwelt on how efforts to this end are being pursued.