Chinguetti, a historical city in Mauritania, is at risk of being engulfed by the expanding desert sands. Property to some of West Africa’s oldest Quranic texts and manuscripts, it faces an imminent threat from the encroaching sand dunes that have already covered much of the city’s core. The once vibrant trading post, which attracted poets, scholars, and theologians, is now teetering on the brink of oblivion due to the relentless advance of the desert.
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For centuries, Chinguetti was a hub for scholars, thanks to its numerous libraries containing thousands of manuscripts. However, the city’s central 8th-century area is now largely buried under sand, with neighborhoods at its outskirts being affected. Residents acknowledge the encroaching desert as their predictable fate. Increasingly frequent sandstorms deposit meters of sand onto the streets and inside homes, fully submerging some areas. Although tree-planting projects aim to combat the desert’s influence, the efforts so far have been ineffective in addressing the deep-rooted concerns about the city’s future.
Chinguetti, one of Mauritania’s four UNESCO World Heritage sites, is considered one of Islam’s holiest cities. The mud and stone houses, mosques, and libraries preserve significant cultural and religious manuscripts. For residents like Melainine Med El Wely, the situation is akin to witnessing a slow-motion natural disaster. The threat is constant and profound, with sand advancing rapidly and transforming the landscape.
Scientific research indicates that sand migration and the reactivation of “sand seas” contribute significantly to desertification. Deserts, including the Sahara, are expanding faster than previously thought. These changes alarm earth scientists who study the impact of winds on sand patterns. A 2024 United Nations report explains that over three-quarters of the Earth’s land area has become drier over recent decades. This aridity threatens the survival of plants, humans, and animals, as it robs the land of moisture essential for life.
In Chinguetti, the effects of climate change are evident; trees wither, wells dry up, and traditional livelihoods vanish. Residents such as date farmer Salima Ould Salem face challenges in preserving their palm trees and livelihoods. The absence of vegetation and increased cutting down of trees ‘.’ for firewood and animal feed exacerbate the sandstorm problems. The loss of vegetation allows dunes to become more active and prevents sand from being held down.
The community remains torn between adapting to the encroaching desert or attempting to halt it. Some propose that planting more trees-for example, establishing “green belts”-might be the solution, an idea already considered on a continent-wide scale as part of Africa’s “Great Green Wall” initiative. However, despite such efforts and projects funded by European NGOs, the success in stopping the desert remains uncertain. Revitalizing the land and combating desertification is a long-term endeavor requiring extended growth periods for vegetation to access groundwater.
Despite the desertification being considered their destiny by many Mauritanians, there is still a belief among some that its effects can be resisted. The city’s future hangs in the balance as these opposing views on destiny and resistance coexist.
Source: https://www.euronews.com/green/2025/02/23/surrounded-by-an-ocean-of-sand-desertification-pushes-ancient-city-to-the-brink-of-oblivio
