Senegalese music legend Baaba Maal has vowed to fight to stop the desertification in the Sahel by planting trees.
He was born in the town of Podor along the Senegal River which he remembers as a green and beautiful place.
The region is home to millions of people living in four West African countries; Senegal, Mali, Guinea and Mauritania and its water is vital for the life of the population.
But the area, which is also part of the Sahel region, has been affected by climate change.
He told the BBC Newsday programme that he wants every single person in Senegal to be able to say they have planted a tree.
Listen to the interview:
