Saharan in the north
Mauritania is largely occupied by the Sahara desert, especially in the north, where it rarely rains. Winter is rather cool (10°C at night in the desert, never less than 20°C during the day), and temperatures easily exceed 40°C from April to September! Rain is becoming increasingly rare. The global warming helping, the periods of drought follow one another, and the sand gains ground. The harmattan, which blows along a north-east axis, also contributes to the advance of the desert.
Sahelian in the south
When you leave Nouakchott in the direction of Mali or Senegal, the thermometer soon gets hot! This is a region affected by the summer monsoon. In Nema, rainfall can reach 110 mm in August: the superposition of humidity and mercury, reaching 36/37 °C during the winter, makes the heat difficult to tolerate. Along the border with Senegal, temperatures exceed 30°C even in winter! Spring is very hot, and the rainy season comes as a relief (sometimes over 200 mm in August).
Heading for the coast
The coastline, from Nouakchott to Nouadhibou, benefits from sea winds, which gives it an almost temperate climate. On the side of Nouadhibou in winter, it is about 20°C, and September is the hottest month (rarely more than 30°C, except if the wind comes from the desert). Mists are frequent, which gives relief to the landscape. On the side of the capital, the climate is hot all year round but bearable... As long as the sandstorms do not blow! You can swim from January to December: the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean varies from 18 to 25°C.
Nouakchott flooded?
The Mauritanian capital, located below sea level, is subject to severe flooding whenever there is abundant rainfall. The winter of 2022, which was particularly dense, caused several disappearances and the forced displacement of thousands of families. If global warming is to blame, disrupting the rate of rainfall, it is not the only culprit: it turns out that Nouakchott is built largely on a water table, the government has distributed land titles in the shallows and other areas of sewage flow ... !
Facing climate change
With such a climate, Mauritania is bound to be sensitive to climate change, which has immediate and disastrous consequences for the daily lives of the local people. Future impacts of climate change are expected to include more unpredictable rainfall, increased drought, and higher average temperatures, exacerbating desertification and rural poverty. In response to these challenges, with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme, Mauritania has obtained a National Adaptation Plan and support from the Green Climate Fund, with the objective of building capacity for adaptation and resilience.
