In this dashboard, we focus on monitoring and analyzing various environmental parameters across the GGW region to support these goals using the latest remote sensing and machine learning approaches and building on comprehensive data collected across the region.
Over the past seven decades, the Sahel has warmed by roughly 1.5–2 °C, with a consistent upward trend of ~0.2–0.3 °C per decade across both western and eastern parts of the region. Both mean temperatures and warm extremes have increased, with marked rises in hot days, warm nights, and heatwave frequency.
Calculations from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA5 reanalysis and Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS).ERA5 hourly reanalysis (0.25° grid) from the Copernicus Climate Data Store. Monthly means aggregated to district level over the GGW belt, 1981–2024.
Derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (MOD13Q1). Restrend calculations based on Evans & Geerken (2004).
Calculated from MODIS MCD64A1 Burned Area product, mapping the spatial distribution and frequency of fires.
This module visualizes critical climate variables across the Great Green Wall corridor.
Mean annual 2m air temperature from ERA5 reanalysis (1940–2025). The map shows long-term average temperatures and warming trends across the GGW corridor.
Use the Location Filter above to zoom to a region, or click on the map to show trends for a certain location.
Mean annual total precipitation from CHIRPS (1981–2025). CHIRPS blends satellite imagery with ground station data to produce high-resolution rainfall estimates.
Use the Location Filter above to zoom to a region, or click on the map to show trends for a certain location.
Trend in maximum daily rainfall intensity from GPM IMERG (2001–2025), expressed in mm per decade. Positive values indicate increasing extreme rainfall events.
Intensifying rainfall extremes increase flood and erosion risk across the Sahel, threatening restoration efforts along the corridor.
EVI time series are essential for monitoring the effectiveness of land restoration efforts and improved management practices. Changes in vegetation trends provide evidence of:
This monitoring supports evidence-based decision-making for land managers, policymakers, and conservation practitioners.
Select a country and administrative region to get the vegetation information for that area. Clicking on the map will show the trend for the selected location.
Each point is a district. X-axis = overall EVI trend; Y-axis = trend after removing rainfall contribution (management signal). Districts in the top half are greening beyond what rainfall alone explains.
Click any bubble to zoom the map into that country and district and load its EVI trend.
The Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) is a satellite-derived metric that measures vegetation greenness and health.
Our analysis creates comprehensive time series of vegetation dynamics from 2000 to present, capturing seasonal patterns and long-term trends.
Select a country and administrative region to explore soil and land health information for that area.
Fire frequency counts how many times each 500 m pixel burned between 2001 and 2024, derived from MODIS active fire detections. High-frequency fire areas indicate chronic burning that can suppress woody vegetation regeneration and accelerate soil carbon loss.
In the Sahel, seasonal burning is a widespread pastoral practice used to clear dry grass for livestock. Understanding where fires recur frequently helps identify areas where restoration efforts may face persistent pressure from repeated disturbance.
Empowering local communities to track, monitor, and scale land restoration across the Great Green Wall. Community-driven science meeting state-of-the-art technology.
The Regreening App is an Android-based mobile application designed to overcome the challenge of lacking reliable, location-specific data on the effectiveness of land restoration practices. Developed in consultation with implementing partners, agricultural extension agents, and farmers, the app facilitates the collection of robust quantitative and qualitative data. By blending citizen science with real-time analytics, it allows communities to take ownership of monitoring while providing critical insights to policymakers and project managers.
Record new plantings, species details, survival rates, and management practices. Track growth with georeferenced photo evidence.
Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration. Document the protection and management of existing root stocks, measuring density and species diversity.
Track seedling production, species diversity, and distribution. Support local enterprise and ensure quality planting material supply.
Monitor restoration of grazing lands. Track soil health and vegetation recovery in critical pastoral ecosystems.
Are you working on land restoration in the Sahel? Integrate the Regreening App into your project's M&E framework.
A science-based monitoring platform tracking climate, vegetation, and land health across the Great Green Wall corridor — from Senegal to Djibouti.
The idea of a 'Great Green Wall' or 'Green Front' to stop the southward expansion of the Sahara Desert has been around since the 1950s. In the 1970s, the vision was to create a mosaic of green and productive landscapes across the entire width of Africa, from Senegal in the west to Djibouti in the east.
Today, the GGW initiative aims to combat land degradation and desertification, improve food security, and enhance livelihoods for millions of people living in the region. It has evolved beyond a green wall to a more holistic approach that includes ecosystem restoration and sustainable land management across the Sahel region and beyond.
Spanning 11 countries — Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Djibouti — the initiative targets 100 million hectares of degraded land for restoration by 2030, in alignment with SDG 15 (Life on Land) and the UNCCD Land Degradation Neutrality framework.
This dashboard provides an integrated view of environmental change across the Great Green Wall corridor using the latest remote sensing and machine learning approaches, combined with comprehensive data collected across the region.
It is built for researchers, policymakers, land managers, and restoration practitioners who need evidence-based insights to support decision-making, monitor progress toward restoration goals, and communicate results to stakeholders.
The dashboard is organized into five thematic modules. Use the left-hand navigation to switch between them.
Overview & KPIs
The Home module provides a GGW-wide synthesis with dynamic KPI cards, a regional vegetation slope chart, and an interactive temperature trend graph.
Climate Analysis
Explore long-term climate trends and live weather patterns across the GGW corridor using ERA5 reanalysis, CHIRPS precipitation, and GPM rainfall intensity data.
Vegetation Dynamics
Track long-term vegetation cover trends (2001–2024) using MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), with climate-attribution analysis to separate rainfall-driven from management-driven greening.
Land Health
Analyze soil health, erosion risk, and tree cover across the corridor using cloud-optimized geotiff (COG) layers, with district-level violin distributions and country-level bubble charts.
Citizen Science
Explore community-driven ground-truth data collected via the Regreening App, an Android application used by field teams and farmers across the GGW to monitor land restoration in near-real time.
Use the left-hand navigation panel to switch between modules. Collapse or expand the sidebar using the ☰ icon in the top-left. On mobile, the sidebar slides in as an overlay.
Each module has a Location Filter where you can select a GGW country and administrative district. The maps, charts, and KPIs update automatically to show data for that area.
In the Climate, Vegetation, and Land Health modules, clicking directly on the map extracts time series or indicator values for that exact location and overlays them on the charts — no need to select a region first.
Most chart and map cards have a ⛶ full-screen button in the top-right corner. Click it to expand any visualization for a closer look, then press Escape or click outside to return.
Use the EN / FR toggle button in the top-right navigation bar to switch the dashboard language. The URL updates automatically so you can share a direct link to the French version.
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA5 hourly reanalysis at 0.25° grid resolution, 1940–2025. Monthly means aggregated to district level across the GGW belt. Copernicus CDS
Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS), blending satellite imagery with ground stations at 0.05° resolution, 1981–2025. Produced by the UCSB Climate Hazards Center.
NASA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) IMERG Final Run at 0.1° resolution. Maximum daily rainfall intensity trend 2001–2025. Extreme events increase flood and erosion risk across the Sahel.
Enhanced Vegetation Index from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) at 250 m resolution, 2001–2024. Restrend attribution based on Evans & Geerken (2004) to separate climate vs. management signals.
Soil organic carbon, erosion risk, and tree cover are all machine-learning predictions trained on Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF) field data. Delivered as Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFFs (COGs).
MODIS Burned Area product (MCD64A1) at 500 m resolution mapping spatial distribution and frequency of fires, 2001–2024. High-frequency areas indicate chronic burning that can suppress woody regeneration.
Ground-truth field observations collected by farmers, extension agents, and restoration practitioners using the Regreening App (Android). Includes tree planting, FMNR, nursery, and rangeland restoration records.
This dashboard is developed by CIFOR-ICRAF as part of the Knowledge for Great Green Wall Action (K4GGWA) initiative, with funding from the European Union.
The K4GGWA initiative synthesizes cutting-edge science to support the GGW programme with evidence-based knowledge on ecosystem restoration outcomes, climate adaptation, and sustainable land management.
Build a printable briefing for one country or district, drawing on the same data, maps and indicators as the dashboard.
Use the polygon tool on the map to outline a rectangle, or zoom/pan and click “Use current view”.
Leave the district blank for a whole-country report, or clear the country for the entire greater GGW. Maps are rendered at print resolution, so generation takes up to a minute.
Pick a country/district or draw a polygon on the map, then generate a CSV of indicator values for a random sample of points (pixels) inside it.
Pick a country/district above, or use the polygon tool (top-left of the map) to draw a custom sampling area. Points are at least 300 m apart so no pixel is sampled twice; very small areas automatically get fewer points.
