Hello ERIP team and fellow participants,
I would like to share an emerging territorial development that may be relevant to our ongoing discussions on restoration planning in the Ghabou Department, located in the Guidimakha region of southern Mauritania, between the Senegal River to the south and the ecologically sensitive Karakoro wetlands, which are central to our ERIP restoration efforts.
The Government of Mauritania has recently announced the forthcoming start of the (Active Link) Ghabou gold mining project. At the same time, the (Active link) Sélibaby–Ghabou road (part of the wider Tidjikja–Kiffa–Sélibaby–Ghabou corridor) is currently under construction, with works ongoing as of early 2026.
Beyond its economic importance, this development is likely to reshape land use, mobility, water demand, settlement dynamics and ecosystem pressures across the department. Given that these developments intersect with both the riverine dynamics and the Karakoro wetlands, they have direct implications for flood risk management, water demand, and ecosystem preservation within our intervention area. Given that two ERIP wetland sites — Melgue Pond in Ghabou Department and Boulli Pond in Ould Yengé Department — are located in the area, these developments may create both opportunities and new challenges for long-term restoration planning.
I thought it would be useful to bring this to the attention of the group, as it reinforces the importance of integrating landscape restoration, disaster risk reduction and territorial planning from the outset.
I will continue monitoring publicly available information and would be happy to share relevant updates if useful for the team.
Best regards,
Almamy Soumaré
. This example highlights the importance of aligning restoration planning with broader infrastructure, economic development, and territorial planning processes.