Mayotte Faces Environment, Biodiversity Crisis After Cyclone
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published December 27, 2024 | 03:30 PM
Dzaoudzi, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Dec, 2024) Mayotte has changed beyond recognition since a cyclone devastated the Indian Ocean territory, sparking an environment and biodiversity crisis that could last for a decade or more, scientists say.
After barrelling into the archipelago at 200 kilometres per hour (125 mph), Cyclone Chido left behind scenes of desolation: Trees mowed down as far as the eye can see, sturdy tree trunks blown apart as if struck by mortars, the previous green of the foliage replaced by a sad brown.
"It's an environmental disaster," said Raima Fadul, a biologist.
"There are no more trees. Those still standing have lost their tops... The cyclone flattened the vegetation."
A gigantic baobab over 300 years old collapsed onto a restaurant. Part of the mangrove is now completely bare and black. A three-metre (10-feet) earth mound looms where an acacia tree, half a century old, was uprooted by the violent storm.
One effect of the vegetation's sudden disappearance is that Mayotte's slums, formerly hidden by lush greenery, are now starkly apparent, making visible their number, and their sprawl.
