- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Boeing strike grinds on as latest talks fail to reach agreement
- Iran 'news' sites, hackers target Trump ahead of US election
- US ports brace for potential dockworkers strike
- Japan's speedy, spotless Shinkansen bullet trains turn 60
- US hurricane deaths rise to 44, fears of more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Global stocks mostly rise, cheering Beijing stimulus
- Europe en route for Moon with new simulator, says astronaut Pesquet
- Fireworks forecast if comet survives risky Sun flypast
- Argentina judge orders dictionary to delete pejorative definition of 'Jewish'
- Global stocks rise on rate hopes, Beijing stimulus
- S.African woman turns 118, among the oldest in the world
- UK clears $4 bn AI partnership between Amazon, Anthropic
- Barca fans barred from Champions League away game over racist banner
- Chinese stocks extend surge, Europe higher on Beijing stimulus
- Pope says Church must 'seek forgiveness' for child sexual abuse
- China caps week of 'bazooka' stimulus for ailing economy with rate cut
- Cuts, cash, credit: China bids to jumpstart flagging economy
- France's debt weighs heavier ahead of budget debate
- Iran treads carefully, backing Hezbollah while avoiding war
- Return to sender: waste stranded at sea stirs toxic dispute
- 'Broken' news industry faces uncertain future
- On remote Greek island, migratory birds offer climate clues
- Taken from mother by nuns, victim seeks answers as pope visits Belgium
- China cuts amount banks hold in reserve to boost lending
- Hong Kong, Shanghai extend surge as China optimism boosts markets
- Vietnam president reiterates support for Cuba during official visit
- Drought reduces Amazon River in Colombia by as much as 90%: report
- Stay or go? Pacific Islanders face climate's grim choice
- Florida bracing for 'unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene
- Poverty rises to over 52 percent in Milei's Argentina
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala Harris
- Champagne houses abuzz over English sparkling wine
- Macron, Trudeau pledge to work for 'decarbonized' economies
- Hurricanes, storms, typhoons... Is September wetter than usual?
- China stimulus, tech optimism boost stock markets
- 'Unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene races towards Florida
- Macron meets Trudeau in Canada as both face political setbacks
- South Korea surges in UN innovation index
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala
- Floods threaten Niger's historic 'gateway to the desert'
- China economy hopes boost global equities
- Ubisoft shares sink after 'Assassin's Creed' delay
- German economy to shrink again in 2024: think tanks
- Hong Kong's New World Development replaces CEO Adrian Cheng
- Swiss central bank cuts rate again amid strong franc worries
- Germany's BASF to focus on 'core units' in major overhaul
- China admits economy facing new 'problems', vows to fix property sector
- Stock markets boosted by China hopes, tech rally
- Bangladesh revolution sparks new hopes among Rohingya
Floods threaten Niger's historic 'gateway to the desert'
Its winding allies, ancient mosque and ochre earthen houses helped bestow on Agadez its UNESCO World Heritage status, but the town in Niger is now under threat from flooding.
Overflowing rivers are no longer a rarity in the vast arid nation on the edge of the Sahara Desert.
But the rainy season this year has been particularly devastating, killing at least 270 people and affecting hundreds of thousands.
In Agadez -- known as the gateway to the desert -- forecasters say it's "regularly" raining, even in areas where normally "rain never falls".
Former mayor Abdourahamane Tourawa called the downpours "particularly aggressive".
"The old town in Agadez is suffering a lot of damage. Ponds are overflowing, many houses collapsed. Even the Grand Mosque wasn't spared," he told AFP.
- Collapsing -
The town, nearly 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) northeast of the capital, Niamey, was an important crossroads on the trans-Saharan caravan trade.
Atop the 16th-century mosque stands an imposing mud-brick minaret 27 metres (89 feet) tall.
The Sultan's Palace from a century earlier is testament to the past glory of the Tuaregs, known as the Blue Men due to the indigo dye of their robes and turbans.
Agadez means "to visit" in the Tuareg language, Tamashek.
Once a tourist magnet and legendary staging post on the Paris-Dakar rally when the race crossed the Sahara, jihadist attacks plaguing the region have scared visitors away.
Other gems include the house where influential German explorer Heinrich Barth stayed in 1850.
The baker's house, richly decorated with shells and arabesques, provided the backdrop for the 1990 film "The Sheltering Sky" by Bernardo Bertolucci.
"Climate change causing heavy rains represents a danger for the old town... Around a hundred houses and walls have already collapsed," town curator Ali Salifou warned.
Scientists have long warned that climate change driven by manmade fossil fuel emissions is increasing the likelihood, intensity and length of extreme weather events such as torrential rains.
- 'Under attack' -
Symbolic monuments are still "in an acceptable state" but "homes and other monuments of historic and religious value are under threat", Salifou said.
Agadez governor General Ibra Boulama Issa saw flooding for himself early this month in the grounds of the mosque, which he said would require the "reinforcement" of the building.
Recent photographs received by AFP showed its pillars eaten away by the water and houses gutted or reduced to piles of rubble.
The military-led Sahelian nation is one of several Central and West African countries hit by heavy flooding during the unusually intense rainy season.
The European Union this week released 5.4 million euros ($6 million) to help six countries affected by this year's heavy rains, of which 1.35 million euros was for Niger.
Mahamat Souleymane, the muezzin at the mosque, said the old town was at risk from the lack, or poor maintenance of, "runoff water drainage systems".
"All the jewels of our heritage are under attack from the onslaught of more violent and abundant rainy seasons," another former mayor, Rhissa Feltou, told AFP.
- Loss of authenticity -
Agadez has 20,000 residents and many hoped the 2013 UNESCO World Heritage designation would bring tourists back.
But regular upkeep and conservation requires money and the town's coffers depend on tourism revenue.
"With the little money you get here and there, you can't maintain the buildings and leave your family with empty stomachs," said Alhassane Manou, who used to sell souvenirs.
Former mayor Tourawa said Agadez's UNESCO recognition had not had "the desired effect".
"The population must benefit from projects allowing them to safeguard and maintain this architectural jewel," he said.
Beyond the climate, Agadez also faces overcrowding as a key transit hub for migrants trying to reach Europe.
Architect Abdel Rachid Idrissa Massi said overpopulation caused "exponential waste production".
He was involved in rehabilitating scores of houses and the mosque with European Union funding.
But some owners demolish the old houses to build concrete ones instead, which "distorts" the town's originality, Massi said.
The United Nations' cultural agency has also noted the trend.
Residents complain, however, that they need practical solutions.
"Those who don't want us to use modern materials in the old town must commit to come and save the town," implored Akanfaya district leader Abou Said Ahmed.
"The sealing on the houses is no longer good enough."
D.Goldberg--CPN