Each year, at least eleven million young Africans enter the job market, while during the next decade an estimated 60 million people will be at risk of being forced to move from degraded land, migrating within and outside the continent. Therefore, land degradation and other effects of climate change on vulnerable populations are becoming a global problem. The bold, innovative and ambitious solutions envisioned by the 3S Initiative have been widely acknowledged and welcomed by the international community. 

The initiative works to provide alternatives to forced migration and radicalization by:

• Creating jobs for young people, women and migrants through the restoration of degraded lands
• Strengthening land access and tenure rights 
• Enhancing early warning systems to predict drought and other natural disasters and effectively respond to displacement of populations

Countries participating in the 3S Initiative believe that social inclusion can be achieved hand-in-hand with environmental stewardship. If we harness Africa’s great strengths – its land, its traditions and its people - we can create at least 2 million job opportunities on 10 million hectares of rehabilitated land in the next few years. By reducing vulnerability and building a future from the ground up, the 3S initiative will show how we can offer young people a chance to both set down roots and a chance to soar.

The 3S Initiative aims to:

• Create two million green jobs for vulnerable groups, in particular young people, migrants, displaced populations and individuals targeted by extremist groups, through the investment in the restoration and sustainable land management of ten million hectares of degraded lands by 2025
• Strengthen access to land and tenure rights to increase the sense of belonging to a specific community and place, particularly in fragile areas
• Prevent displacement by improving preparedness and early warning systems for drought and other natural disasters

[This information was taken from unccd.int.]

Further reading:Sustainability, Stability, Security - Why it is vital for global security and stability to tackle climate change and invest in sustainability (WWF France, 2017)