[ecr]  The project aims to expand forest cover to 4.7 million hectares, including reforesting 400,000 ha by 2027.

The project exemplifies sustainable development by balancing environmental conservation with enhanced living standards for local communities."

Since the launch of its first phase by the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, on 29 October 2023, from the region of El Maalba, in the province of Djelfa, the green dam project is moving forward and making progress in multiple areas and its digital platform is expected for 2025.

In an interview granted to APS, the deputy director of the green dam, step and Sahrawi areas, at the General Directorate of Forests (DGF), Ratiba Arbadi, affirmed that the project’s new vision, under the instructions of the President of the Republic, doesn’t include reforestation only but also the integration of species adapted to the nature of the land and to the changing climate conditions, while encouraging the sustainable exploitation of forest resources in an action taken jointly with the local populations.

She underlined that the new vision of the green dam also involves young people in various actions related to this megaproject through contracts dedicated to planting, maintenance and monitoring of reforested areas, in addition to ancillary contracts for opening forest tracks or mobilizing water resources.

In figures, Arbadi emphasizes that in 2023, the reforestation action plan targeted 18,000 ha, while for 2024, an area of 11,000 ha has been mobilized for planting, indicating that for the period 2023-2030, a budget of DZD75 million has been mobilized for the registered actions.

'We have opted, as part of a multi-institutional action plan, for the planting of economic and hardy species, resistant to drought and fast-growing, such as the carob tree, olive tree and pistachio tree,3she explains.

Arbadi highlighted an innovative approach in Khenchela, one of the 13 provinces involved in this project. A 909-hectare olive grove has been planted along the edge of Oued Larab, an area known for its significant agricultural activity. This project, entrusted to young farmers for maintenance and operation, aims to bolster the region's primary industry and create new job opportunities.

In the same province, responding to local residents' requests, the initially planned 100 hectares of atriplex (a forage plant) were replaced with prickly pear cacti. This change capitalizes on local expertise in cultivating this fruit and processing its by-products.

Regarding the efforts that have been undertaken to boost community resilience against climate change and desertification in pastoral areas, Arbadi reported that initial dune stabilization efforts in the Mesrane region, in Djelfa province, have yielded 'very positive results'. These efforts focused on regenerating the vegetation cover."  

[/ecr]