Biodiversity loss threatened in South Africa's Richtersveld

Norbert Jürgens, an emeritus professor of plant biodiversity at the University of Hamburg, has warned of accelerating desertification in the Richtersveld region of South Africa. Located near the Namib Desert along the Orange River, this 10,000-square-kilometer area is a global hotspot for plant biodiversity, hosting approximately 1,000 endemic succulent species.

Through decades of monitoring, satellite imagery analysis, and historical photo comparisons, Jürgens has observed a significant decline in both species numbers and the biomass of the protective plant cover. This environmental shift mirrors historical patterns like the American Dust Bowl, threatening a unique ecosystem that contains far more endemic plant life than regions such as Germany.