Chinguetti, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Mauritania, faces severe desertification due to climate change, putting its valuable manuscripts and cultural heritage at risk. As sands engulf the city, community leaders express deep concern while local initiatives struggle to curtail the encroachment. Despite challenges, residents remain determined to defend their homes and history from the desert’s advance.
Chinguetti, a significant trans-Saharan trading post in Mauritania, is facing severe desertification that threatens its historical and cultural legacy. Home to over a dozen libraries with thousands of ancient manuscripts, this city is slowly being engulfed by shifting sands, which are encroaching on neighborhoods. As residents resign themselves to this fate, climate change exacerbates the situation, increasing the frequency and intensity of sandstorms that bury homes and disrupt life in the area.
Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Chinguetti holds immense cultural and religious significance for many Mauritanians, housing some of West Africa’s oldest Quranic texts. Community leaders like Melainine Med El Wely express deep concern for the future, likening the gradual encroachment of sand to a natural disaster unfolding before their eyes. “It’s a city surrounded by an ocean of sand that’s advancing every minute,” he laments.
Statistics from the World Bank report that Africa contributes minimally to fossil fuel emissions but is experiencing severe impacts from climate change. Chinguetti’s extensive stone and mud structures are at risk as deserts expand at unprecedented rates, with researchers documenting significant shifts in sand movement. According to Andreas Baas, an earth scientist, “What we used to think of as the worst case scenario … is now actually looking like a more likely scenario.”
Recent reports indicate that over seventy-five percent of Earth’s land has become drier, impacting the survival of flora and fauna. The United Nations attributes these changes to human-caused climate change, which promotes desertification and urges unmeasured water scarcity that compels migration of affected communities. In Chinguetti, the consequences manifest as dwindling tree cover, drying wells, and disappearances of long-standing traditions and livelihoods.
Local farmers like Salima Ould Salem are finding it increasingly challenging to sustain their date palms. As community members leave, their homes further contribute to the vulnerability of Chinguetti to the advancing desert. He notes, “We prefer to stay here. If I leave, my place will disappear.” Once-thriving vegetation has either perished or been removed for firewood, leaving neighborhoods exposed to greater sand movement.
Residents of Chinguetti utilize simple means to combat the rising sand levels, as traditional tools like carts are employed in sand removal efforts. As the city continues to be buried, there is ongoing discussion regarding the necessity of creating “green belts” around urban areas, with proposals aligned to the continent-wide initiative of Africa’s Great Green Wall. Although tree-planting initiatives have been proposed by Mauritania’s environmental and agricultural ministries, their impact has yet to show significant results.
El Wely concludes that while desertification appears inevitable, there remains hope and determination among Chinguetti’s residents to resist this fate actively. Despite the bleak outlook, initiatives aimed at safeguarding the city’s cultural heritage and natural environment continue to inspire certain communities as they strive against the desert’s advance.
Chinguetti, a cultural treasure of Mauritania, is under siege from escalating desertification exacerbated by climate change. The community, home to ancient manuscripts, grapples with the fate of their historical and religious site as encroaching sands threaten livelihoods and heritage. Although initiatives like the planting of trees provide some hope, residents remain steadfast, yearning to resist the desert’s relentless advance and protect their culture for future generations.
Original Source: www.usnews.com
