Irrigating the Great Green Walls of China and Africa: Lessons, technologies, and institutional challenges

The Great Green Walls (GGW) of China and Africa are two of the most ambitious ecological restoration projects in the world. However, water limitations remain a key challenge of both. This article examines China's decades-long experience with irrigation technologies across its drylands—ranging from straw checkerboarding for sand fixation without irrigation in core desert areas, to short-term drip irrigation using groundwater or local water sources in arid zones, to large-scale inter-basin water diversion projects—and considers their relevance for Africa's GGW. While large-scale interventions are ecologically controversial and ill-suited to the African context, low-cost, low-tech approaches hold greater promise. Straw checkerboarding requires no irrigation and has proven effective at immobilizing dunes, while solar-powered drip irrigation can support tree saplings during early growth stages without relying on unreliable electricity grids. Drawing from field research and case studies of China-Africa partnerships, we highlight both the potential for knowledge transfer and the challenges of adapting technologies developed in China to the African context. Beyond technological considerations, we also acknowledge land tenure differences. While China's state-owned land system enables coordinated, large-scale implementation, Africa's complex mix of formal and customary tenure arrangements complicates land access. We argue that while China's low-cost, solar-powered drip irrigation and sand fixation techniques offer valuable lessons for Africa’s GGW, meaningful collaboration must contend with divergent institutional frameworks. Ultimately, the future of China-Africa cooperation will depend not only on technology transfer but also on navigating land tenure constraints and building partnerships that are responsive to local governance contexts.