The United Nations has recognised a major land restoration initiative in Africa’s Sahel region as one of its newest World Restoration Flagships, highlighting the growing importance of restoring degraded land to fight hunger, poverty and climate change.
The Sahel Integrated Resilience Initiative, which operates across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, was recognised on August 26, 2026, during the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, known as UNCCD COP17, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The recognition comes under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global effort led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to restore damaged ecosystems around the world.
More Than Four Million People Supported
Since 2018, the Sahel Integrated Resilience Initiative has helped strengthen food security and livelihoods for more than four million people.
The programme has rehabilitated more than 335,000 hectares of degraded land, helping communities restore agricultural production and improve their ability to cope with drought, climate shocks and food shortages.
The initiative is led by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) alongside governments and development partners in the region.
Its work goes beyond simply planting trees. Communities are supported to restore farmland, improve soil quality, collect and manage water, protect biodiversity and develop infrastructure that can support long-term food production.
In many areas, communities use techniques such as water harvesting, zaï pits, stone bunds and other land-management methods to improve soil fertility and increase the productivity of damaged farmland.
Why the Sahel Needs Land Restoration
The Sahel is one of the regions most affected by drought, desertification and climate change.
Communities across the region depend heavily on farming and livestock for survival. When land becomes degraded, agricultural production falls, food becomes scarce and families can lose their main sources of income.
Land degradation can also increase competition over water and farmland, creating additional pressure in communities already facing poverty, insecurity and displacement.
According to recent estimates, around 7.4 million people were projected to face crisis-level or worse food insecurity during the June-to-August 2026 lean season across the Sahel.
This makes land restoration more than an environmental project. It is increasingly being viewed as a major tool for improving food security and protecting livelihoods.
Improving Food Production and Livelihoods
The Sahel Integrated Resilience Initiative combines environmental restoration with broader community support.
The programme helps farmers improve agricultural production while also supporting nutrition, school meals, local markets and income-generating opportunities.
According to the World Food Programme, restoration activities are designed to reduce communities’ vulnerability to climate shocks and improve access to food over the long term.
The initiative also supports the creation of community assets such as water systems, roads, flood protection and grain storage facilities.
These investments can help communities become less dependent on emergency humanitarian assistance and more capable of producing food and generating income locally.
UN Recognition Brings Global Attention
The Sahel initiative was one of three programmes recognised as new World Restoration Flagships, alongside initiatives in Brazil and Saudi Arabia.
Together, the three newly recognised projects have committed to restoring almost five million hectares of land by 2030.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said investments in healthy land are becoming increasingly important as climate change, drought, desertification and geopolitical tensions place greater pressure on global food systems.
The UN believes successful restoration programmes can deliver multiple benefits, including improved food security, new jobs and stronger communities.
Looking Towards 2030
The Sahel Integrated Resilience Initiative is expected to continue expanding its work in the coming years.
A second phase running from 2023 to 2028 aims to scale up restoration efforts and connect them more closely with social protection, climate action and essential services.
The programme’s recognition by the UN is expected to draw greater international attention to the challenges facing the Sahel and the importance of investing in long-term solutions.
For millions of people living in the region, restoring degraded land could mean more than greener landscapes. It could mean productive farms, better food supplies, new jobs and stronger protection against drought and climate change.
As African countries continue to battle the effects of desertification and food insecurity, the Sahel initiative is being presented as an example of how environmental restoration can also support economic development and human survival.
