Building corridors of growth through the Sahel and beyond Format World Bank Practice Manager for the Environment, Natural Resources and the Blue Economy in West Africa Temperatures in the Sahel are increasing 1.5 times faster than the global average, and around 80 percent of the farmland has lost some degree of its natural productivity. Together, these factors diminish the availability of land for food production or grazing, deplete water, and increase the vulnerability of the people living in the region. Adding to these challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic could drive up to 40 million people into extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, erasing five years of progress in fighting poverty. In the Sahel alone, over 17 million people are food insecure.