A City in Slow Collapse

For centuries, Chinguetti was a thriving center of Islamic learning, attracting scholars, traders, and theologians. Today, many of its ancient mud-brick homes, mosques, and libraries are partially or fully submerged.

Residents like Melainine Med El Wely describe watching their hometown disappear:

"It's a city surrounded by an ocean of sand that's advancing every minute," he says. "There are places I walk now that I remember as the roofs of houses when I was a kid."

The situation has worsened as sandstorms deposit meters of dunes into the streets, making parts of the city unrecognizable.

Desertification: A Climate Disaster in Slow Motion

Chinguetti is just one example of a much larger crisis. Deserts worldwide are expanding at unprecedented rates, according to the UN, with the Sahara advancing southward by nearly a mile each year.

Research shows:
📌 Over 75% of Earth's land has become drier in recent decades.
📌 Sand migration is reshaping landscapes, threatening communities.
📌 Water scarcity is leading to mass displacement and health crises.

"What we once thought was a worst-case scenario for desertification five to ten years ago is now becoming reality," warns Andreas Baas, an earth scientist at King's College London.

A Vanishing Livelihood

The climate shift is devastating local farmers. Salima Ould Salem, a date farmer, says his neighborhood used to be full of families. Now, sand blocks his door, and his neighbors' homes are buried.

"If I leave, my place will disappear," he says.

The trees that once protected Chinguetti—acacias, gum trees, and palms—are vanishing due to drought and deforestation. Without them, the city is even more exposed to shifting sands.

Can Chinguetti Be Saved?

Mauritania has attempted tree-planting projects, and the EU has funded green belts to protect the city's priceless Quranic manuscripts. But so far, the sands continue to advance faster than restoration efforts.

El Wely remains hopeful:
"We believe desertification is our destiny. But thankfully, some still believe it can be resisted."

With climate change accelerating, the fate of Chinguetti—and other ancient cities like it—now hangs in the balance.