The vision:
One of the hottest regions on earth is to become a green belt in the long term.
The Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) reported on our reforestation project SAREP (Sahara Renaissance Project) in Mauritania in its programmes ‘Zeit im Bild – ZIB’ and ‘Mayrs Magazin’.
How can new life emerge from barren desert soil? Reporter Lisa Heinze travelled to Mauritania for ORF to get a first-hand impression of the project. In conversation with project coordinator Ebnou, it becomes clear that the ambitious goal of making parts of the Sahara fertile through reforestation and seawater desalination is already more than just a vision.
Seawater is treated with desalination process using solar and wind energy and pumped via pipelines to areas where trees are planted and soils are revitalised. Carbon dioxide is also absorbed and new prospects are created for the local population.
The Mauritanian government has already pledged land, the size of Lower Austria, which could then absorb four times as much carbon dioxide as Austria emits annually.
Mohamed Yeslem Beihatt, representative of the Inchiri region, reports that the project has been favourably received by the local population. He sees many opportunities for the population through the SAREP project, including clean drinking water, water for irrigating their fields, education and knowledge transfer in the areas of renewable energies as well as training potential.
For Prof Heck, project initiator and Director of IfaS, the social dimension is just as important as climate protection: ‘If climate protection can help to give countries an option, independent of aid – partnership-based options, then climate protection makes much more sense to me.’
The test phase of the project will start in November on an area of 50-100 hectares, and the required €7.5 million has already been acquired.
📺 Watch ORF reports (videos, german) now: Green desert & forest in the desert
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Note: Cover image edited with AI; source screenshot: orf.at