The ancient desert city of Chinguetti, a UNESCO World Heritage Site housing priceless Islamic manuscripts, faces annihilation as advancing sandstorms bury entire neighborhoods. Mauritania—where 99.5% of land is desert—now witnesses accelerated desertification linked to global climate shifts, swallowing homes and history alike.
Residents combat dunes reaching rooftops, using mule carts to clear suffocating sands. It’s like watching a tsunami unfold grain by grain,said community leader Melainine Med El Wely.
Walk where camel caravans once passed, and you’ll tread on buried living rooms.
Recent findings reveal stark realities:
- Annual rainfall dropped to 2.5 cm, starving protective acacia trees
- Sand migration rates tripled since 2000
- 75% of households report respiratory illnesses from dust
While Great Green Wall initiatives plant drought-resistant palms, taproots require years to stabilize soil. At current sand-invasion speeds, experts predict Chinguetti’s libraries—safeguarding 13th-century Quranic texts—could vanish within decades.
Every relocated family weakens our defense,explained date farmer Salima Ould Salem, scooping sand from her doorway. Nearby, a Belgian-built guesthouse lies half-submerged beneath copper-hued dunes.
United Nations data confirms Mauritania suffers Africa’s third-highest climate vulnerability despite minimal emissions. As vanishing vegetation accelerates sand mobility, scientists warn:
Today’s nightmares exceeded our worst desertification models.
Yet hope persists. NGOs fund perimeter tree belts, while engineers design manuscript preservation vaults. Resisting deserts isn’t just survival—it’s protecting humanity’s memory,El Wely affirmed. As sands advance, Chinguetti’s fate hinges on balancing ecology with cultural endurance.
