Partnership for development: the PAGGW strengthens its relations with UNDP in implementing the Great Green Wall Initiative

Nouakchott, 7 August 2018 — With a view to giving fresh impetus to the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall (PAGGW) in implementing the Great Green Wall, Dr Aliou Dia, Head of the Africa Team for Climate and Climate Change Adaptation at the UNDP Regional Centre for Africa based in Addis Ababa, accompanied by Mr Tahir Basse, Regional Adviser on Communication and Knowledge Management based in Dakar, carried out a working visit to the PAGGW headquarters in Mauritania from 30 to 31 July 2018. During this visit, the UNDP representatives held an open exchange session with the various Directorates and Services of the PAGGW, followed by a debriefing of their mission with Prof. Abdoulaye Dia, Executive Secretary and head of the Agency.

The meeting made it possible to review the strategic documents and the state of implementation of the Priority Actions set out in UNDP’s three-year Support Programme 2018–2021 for the PAGGW. These concern in particular the acquisition of computer equipment and electronic mapping equipment for the benefit of the PAGGW’s Planning and Monitoring-Evaluation Services and the national structures, the recruitment of consultants to finalise the study on the Great Green Wall Carbon Bank, and the organisation of an international training workshop on Carbon Footprint Auditing (CFA) and the assessment of Carbon Credits in the intervention areas of the Great Green Wall.

The support of the United Nations organisation will also focus on raising awareness of and providing media coverage for the Agency’s activities, through the production of a short institutional film on the PAGGW, its vision, its objectives and the results achieved in certain Great Green Wall member States.

In the medium term, UNDP will provide support for the organisation of the Youth Green Caravan of the Saharo-Sahelian area, an awareness-raising and mobilisation campaign for the young people of the Saharo-Sahelian area on the issues of climate change, desertification and their harmful effects on the communities and populations of the areas concerned. A project to produce a film of approximately 52 minutes with a renowned producer and broadcaster is in preparation.

Text, photos & captions: Mahamadou Coulibaly