Assessment and Monitoring of Coastal Erosion on Mauritanian Beaches

Coastal areas are at constant risk of coastal erosion exacerbated by anthropogenic activities and coastal infrastructure. The objective of our study is to identify the most dynamic areas on the Mauritanian coast and particularly those most affected by erosion and possibly determine the factors responsible for the degradation. We used remote sensing techniques and geographic information systems (GIS) through the processing of high and medium resolution satellite images. We used the DSAS method to compare and update the work done by DELFT University which ended in 2016. We integrated images from 2005, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2021 on the area of interest at the port of Tanit in combination with the detailed analysis, conducted by the University of Delft that brings out the basic data from an analysis of coastal dynamics in Sandy beaches around the world. It emerges that the Mauritanian coast, mostly a sandy beach, is very dynamic with three trends characterizing the coastline from north to south. The first sector is dominated by the North and North-East trade winds, although there are small pockets of erosion around the islands of the Banc d’Arguin National Park, which are very low and exposed to ocean waves. The second sector that has a clear erosion profile is the one located between the village of Mamghar and PK28 south of the city of Nouakchott. Finally, the southern zone of the coastline up to the border with Senegal does not show a clear trend of accretion or erosion and can be described as stable with changes from one period to another according to the different cycles of the tide and wind dynamics which is the main source of sediment. It turns out that the port facilities were at the origin of coastal erosion. These results draw attention on the need to adopt effective adaptation mechanisms against coastal erosion to protect coastal communities and secure economic investment, especially in the tourism and fish sectors.