Issa Sarr

Senegalese environmental activist who developed novel desertification solutions through traditional knowledge fusion.

Issa Sarr (b. 1972), a self-taught ecologist from the Sahel region, created the 'Living Grid' technique that combines ancient Fulani pastoral practices with modern permaculture. His innovation has reclaimed over 200,000 hectares of degraded land in Senegal since 2005.

Sarr's method involves planting Guiera senegalensis shrubs in geometric patterns that mimic termite mound distributions, creating micro-climates that retain moisture. This approach increased crop yields by 300% in pilot villages compared to conventional agroforestry. He established the Green Earth Collective, training 15,000 farmers in 8 countries on drought-resistant techniques.

His most controversial achievement was negotiating a truce between nomadic herders and settled farmers through water mapping diplomacy – using satellite data and elder knowledge to create shared resource management plans. This conflict resolution model has been adopted by UNDP in 3 conflict zones.

Sarr's Mobile Sand Library project preserves 147 endangered plant species in seed banks carried by camel caravans. His TED talk Dust to Life redefined desertification discourse, emphasizing ecological adaptation over combat metaphors.