Zohra Demni

Algerian environmentalist leading desertification reversal efforts in North Africa

Zohra Demni is a pioneering Algerian ecologist and founder of the Green Belt Movement Algeria, dedicated to combating desertification through innovative agroforestry techniques. Since 2021, her organization has successfully planted over 5 million drought-resistant trees across Algeria's Sahel region, creating windbreaks that stabilize soil and restore degraded landscapes. Her work directly addresses climate change impacts in the region, earning recognition from the UN Environment Programme and the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100).

Demni's approach combines traditional Berber agricultural knowledge with modern permaculture principles. She developed the 'Dune Fixation Method' using native shrubs like the Artemisia herba-alba to anchor shifting sands, which has been replicated in Tunisia and Morocco. Through her Eco-Corridors Project, she connects fragmented green zones to create ecological corridors for wildlife migration.

Her advocacy led to Algeria's 2023 National Desertification Control Plan, which now includes community-based restoration as a core strategy. Demni also trains women's cooperatives in agroecology, empowering 12,000 rural women to become ecosystem stewards. Her TEDx talk "How to Green the Sahara" has over 2 million views, inspiring global desert restoration efforts.