Activists plant trees in Mali, but residents strip them for firewood, saying there's no choice

FILE - People plant trees in the Zamblara forest in Mali's Sikasso region Oct. 2, 2024, as part of a campaign with Malian NGO Energia, a partner of the Great Green Wall initiative. FILE - Lassana Coulibaly cuts firewood to be distributed to people in Senou, Mali, Oct. 11, 2024.

After years of serving as Mali's minister of the environment, Aida M'bo now spends her time planting trees in a fight that many in the arid West African country acknowledge they are losing.