IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section B

Abstract

Private mining of laterite as construction material and a government-proposed mega oil refinery are just some of the threats to the Konkan geoglyph clusters in India that were added to the 2022 UNESCO tentative list enroute a possible nomination as a World Heritage Site. The Konkan geoglyphs are spread over a 900km long coast and are tentatively dated from Mesolithic to historic periods, spanning thousands of years. They exhibit a variety of rock etching and scooping techniques and depict human, animal and abstract figures including many marine and riverine animals, mammals, reptiles, amphibian and avian fauna that are now extinct in the region. These bas-relief carvings are hard to notice due to factors like the porosity of laterite stone, the horizontal plane of view and seasonal grass covering the plateau. They face existential dangers from infrastructure development projects such as roads, building construction, and laterite mining which is the largest industrial activity in the region with a population of around 30 million. There need to be concerted efforts to conserve these geoglyphs starting with extensive documentation, policy interventions to protect the clusters, and public engagement to encourage cultural stewardship and local agency. To that end, this paper presents a cross-disciplinary proposal to use digital technologies like GIS for spatial analysis and planning, drone mapping – photogrammetry and thermal imaging for documentation, satellite imagery for watershed analysis, and extended reality applications for interpretation and public engagement projects that could present an alternate source of income for the community with sustainable tourism development.