On Friday, December 6, 2024, the Director General of the Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures (SMH), Mr. Ismail Abdel Vetah, signed, on behalf of the Environmental Commission (EC), a Partnership Agreement with the Naval Academy and the Higher Institute of Marine Sciences (ISSM). The signing ceremony, held at SMH headquarters, brought together members of the Environmental Commission, the Naval Academy, and ISSM, reflecting a collective commitment to preserving the Mauritanian coastline.
This strategic partnership aims to support ISSM’s work on mitigating coastal erosion risks. This pressing issue significantly impacts the Mauritanian coastline, driven by the combined effects of climate change and human activities. Despite the severity of the problem, technical studies and interventions remain limited, with efforts largely focused on Nouakchott, one of the most affected areas.
Under this agreement, ISSM will conduct an experimental project on a section of the dune cordon south of Nouakchott. The project employs an innovative biological stabilization technique using Sesuvium, a halophytic plant capable of withstanding extreme environmental conditions, such as saline stress, burial by sandstorms, and prolonged waterlogging by marine waters.
Supervised by a multidisciplinary scientific team, this nature-based solution will not only combat pollution and promote carbon sequestration but also ensure the sustainable restoration of the dune cordon.
Through this initiative, SMH, the Naval Academy, and ISSM, under the auspices of the Environmental Commission, reaffirm their commitment to advancing scientific research and implementing concrete solutions for sustainable development and the preservation of Mauritania’s coastal ecosystems.
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