Nomads of the desert

Mauritania, 2019

Mauritania’s population used to be overwhelmingly composed of nomads up to the mid-twentieth century. Since the 1970s, severe droughts exacerbated by climate change have forced many to settle down in cities such as Nouadhibou or Nouakchott, the capital. Moreover, higher comfort and work opportunities offered by the cities have been instrumental in attracting new generations. Today, only few Mauritanians still live according to traditional nomadic customs. As part of my overland journey across northwest Africa, I was lucky to be accepted for a few days into a nomadic family in central Mauritania, deep in the inhospitable Sahara desert. These images are a tribute to their threatened lifestyle and culture.

To see the story of Mongolia’s nomads, click here.