Nouadhibou

Nouadhibou is Mauritania’s principal northern port and a major centre for fisheries, mining logistics and industry. Its peninsula setting constrains urban expansion and exposes the city to sand encroachment, while older neighbourhoods have faced deficits in sanitation, water and solid-waste services.

Mauritania’s Urban Development Program prepared a city development strategy for Nouadhibou and identified sanitation, waste management, environmental protection and service upgrading as priorities. The programme also included basic municipal services in the city and measures linked to port-related pollution. These issues remain structurally important because economic infrastructure and residential growth share a limited urban territory. Nouadhibou’s long-term development depends on aligning port and industrial activity with reliable urban services, while managing environmental pressures that can undermine both neighbourhood conditions and the coastal economy.