(Ecofin Agency) - As a result of the ongoing COP 21 talks, ten African countries just launched the AFR100 scheme. These countries intend to recover 100 million hectares of arable lands by 2030.

While World Bank and Germany are to invest a billion dollars in this project, the private sector will inject $545 million.

Vincent Biruta, Rwanda’s minister for natural resources, said the initiative could provide prosperity and security to rural populations. “After restoring the forest areas, we observed an increase in agricultural productivity and our rural communities were able to diversify their sources of income and improve their living standards,” he said. For its part, Henry Djombo, DR Congo’s minister of forest economy emphasized on the inaction regarding the Congo Basin which, “if not well managed, it would degrade into grassland then a desert which would over time spread to the whole continent”.

Concretely, the land-saving plan translates into tree-planting, fighting erosion and improving soil health. According to Ibrahim Assane Mayaki who is in charge of the New Plan for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) which provides technical support to AFR100, this initiative is likely to be emulated by many. Also, about 700 million arable lands can be recovered all over the continent, he adds.

The ten countries to have currently launched the AFR100 scheme are: DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Rwanda, Togo and Uganda.

Aaron Akinocho