Desertification in Algeria and Turkey: Climate Change Leading to “Natural Selection” of Restoration Concepts

There are various causes of desertification; deforestation and subsequent overgrazing play a dominant role in the karst areas of southeastern Turkey, as in many Mediterranean countries. In Northern Algeria, sand storms from the Sahara are an additional burden. We reviewed the various strategies and concepts followed to overcome land degradation and desertification in these countries. The world’s first “Great Green Wall” in Algeria started as a state initiative, supported by thousands of volunteers and the military. In some planting areas, monocultures have led to ecological stress and subsequent replacement. More recent concepts are found in Turkey, where modern technology is applied to the revegetation of steep slopes and where both ecological and economic values underlie the efforts of renaturation and large-scale afforestation. Together with the “Three North Shelterbelt Program” in China, the restoration campaigns reviewed are the largest and longest-running revegetation programs in history, offering unique opportunities to learn from more than 50 years of restoration work. We identified the key success factors for sustainable desertification control and concluded that the harsh climate of desert border areas will naturally favor the survival of the most ecologically adapted restoration concept. This approach is expected to be the most sustainable solution for enduring future climatic challenges.