COMMUNES OF NOUAKCHOTT - MAURITANIA: BETWEEN DESERT AND TIDAL POOLS

Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, was created ex nihilo in an environment made up of Sebkhas, shallows and continental dunes, along a very straight coastline. Climatic conditions linked to sea movements and continental seasons have given rise to new landscapes characterized by outcrops of pools and accumulations of unhealthy water. Today, these landscapes are becoming characteristic of Nouakchott, unlike in the 70s, when only a few sebkhas and marshes could be distinguished along the coastline. So we have to ask ourselves why we've reached the stage where floodwaters, ponds and marshes have become a permanent threat to the city, in fact, a sort of sword of Damocles hanging over the capital.

Autorentext

Moctar El Hacem Ahmed Salem, Professor, French Universities. Focal point of the Master Environnement, Développement Durable/Risques Naturels/FLSH. Head of LEERG (Laboratoire d'Études Environnementales et de Recherches Géographiques) at the University of Nouakchott, Mauritania.