Mauritania launches aerial seeding campaign to combat desertification affecting 84% of its land

Mauritania launched a nationwide aerial seeding campaign Friday to combat desertification affecting more than 84% of the country's land area.

The Mauritanian News Agency said the four-day campaign will cover 8.7 million hectares (21.5 million acres) and involve dispersing 3 tons of carefully selected native drought-resistant tree seeds across areas in nine regions.

Environment and Sustainable Development Minister Messouda Baham Mohamed Laghdaf said at the launch that the initiative represents a key pillar in the country's efforts to restore vegetation cover and combat desertification.

“Through this campaign, three tons of carefully selected native seeds will be dispersed to help restore ecosystems and promote sustainable environmental development,” she said.

Mohamed Laghdaf said aerial seeding allows authorities to reach vast areas that are difficult to access by land, while helping restore grazing lands, stabilize sand dunes, improve soil fertility and regenerate vegetation cover.

On June 8, she said desertification had affected more than 84% of Mauritania's territory, warning of environmental threats facing the coastline as well as terrestrial and marine biodiversity.

Mohamed Laghdaf said at the time that desertification continues to expand and requires a collective response, and that the government is implementing programs and reforms to strengthen resilience to climate change.

Mauritania covers an area of about 1.03 million square kilometers (397,955 square miles).

Recurring droughts in recent decades have destroyed large areas of forest and accelerated the expansion of desert land.

Wildfires destroy about 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of grazing land across the country each year, according to the Environment Ministry.

Protecting rangelands is economically and socially significant in Mauritania, where a large share of the population depends on livestock. The livestock population exceeds 30 million animals and grows by more than 3.5% annually, it said.