Chinguetti, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Mauritania, is facing severe desertification, with sandstorms burying homes and historic manuscripts. Climate change exacerbates this issue, leading to dwindling water sources and tree cover. Community leaders advocate for tree-planting projects, but progress is slow amidst urgent environmental challenges as residents grapple with the reality of their eroding heritage and livelihoods.
Chinguetti, Mauritania, once a flourishing hub for scholars and poetical traditions, now faces ruin as desert encroaches upon its ancient structures. The shifting sands cover parts of this 8th-century city, threatening its libraries rich with manuscripts. Residents grapple with the dire reality as their homes are overtaken by advancing dunes, believing the desert beckons their fate.
Increasingly severe climate conditions are exacerbating an already precarious situation. Sandstorms are depositing mountain-like dunes into the city’s streets and homes, submerging properties. Although tree-planting initiatives aim to combat this threat, they have barely alleviated the community’s fears about the future of Chinguetti and its rich heritage.
Chinguetti is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is considered one of Islam’s holiest cities, housing some of West Africa’s most ancient texts. However, only a small fraction of Mauritania’s land is cultivable, resulting in a struggle for survival as the desert proliferates. Climate change disproportionately affects Mauritania, which, despite being a low contributor to global emissions, faces dire environmental threats.
Melainine Med El Wely, a community leader, likens witnessing Chinguetti’s decline to a slow-motion disaster. “It’s a city surrounded by an ocean of sand that’s advancing every minute,” he states, highlighting a landscape where the architecture is increasingly hidden under shifting sands. The community’s experiences, including a camel falling into a sunken living room, reflect the surreal intensity of their plight.
Research indicates an alarming rate of desertification as the Sahara expands. According to Andreas Baas, an earth scientist, once theorized worst-case scenarios are fast becoming reality. Reports show dry land proliferation, impacting agriculture and threatening livelihoods worldwide, with climate change identified as a primary cause behind this trend.
The changing climate has dire consequences in Chinguetti, where the diminishing tree cover leads to exposed areas vulnerable to sands. With water sources drying and communities depleting from migration, individuals like Salima Ould Salem struggle to sustain their date farming. His neighborhood, once vibrant, now faces sand-blocked exits and a growing sense of loss as residents depart.
The contribution of vegetation in stabilizing sands is crucial. Mohamed Lemine Bahane explained that removal of vegetation facilitates dune activity, exacerbating the problem. Over the last decade, Chinguetti’s average annual rainfall has decreased significantly, leaving trees dying and more sand infiltrating the community, creating economic and health challenges for the inhabitants.
Community members advocate for increased tree planting initiatives to combat desert encroachment effectively. The proposal resonates with larger regional efforts such as Africa’s Great Green Wall; however, local progress remains slow in yielding protective growth. The community leader, El Wely, expresses a mix of despair and hope, emphasizing the need for resistance against desertification—”We’re convinced that desertification is our destiny. But thankfully, there are still people convinced that it can be resisted.”
Chinguetti’s battle against encroaching desertification highlights the severe impacts of climate change. This UNESCO World Heritage site is under threat as climate-driven sandstorms bury homes and historical manuscripts. Community members are striving to resist these changes through tree-planting initiatives, but significant challenges remain amid dwindling resources and population losses.
Original Source: www.townandcountrytoday.com
