NEWS
tion was proposed two years ago by a group of UN-appointed experts . They recommended that a single trust fund be set up that all donors could contribute to and through which they could decide funding priorities together . Regrettably , this has not happened , and observers say it is not likely to happen in the current climate .
This month , the international community will come together in Abidjan , Côte d ’ Ivoire , for the 15 th conference of the parties to the UNCCD . The green wall ’ s funders and participating countries will all be there . If a single trust fund is off the table , they must work together to find a better way to coordinate their greenwall project activities . It is also essential that they study the findings of Turner and colleagues ’ review . Along with a focus on existing metrics , the Great Green Wall needs evaluation criteria that take better account of the needs of all people in participating countries , particularly the most vulnerable .
Figure 1 . Farmers at a Great Green Wall site in Niger . Researchers have found that the project does not always benefit the most vulnerable people . Credit : Boureima Hama / AFP / Getty
Jersey cows happily grazing on the mixed pastures at the Outeniqua Research Farm near George . Photo : Malissa Murphy
29 Grassroots Vol 22 No 2 July 2022