Local Cultures – Global Spaces
Abstract
Increasing desertification threatens not just desert ecosystems and local communities but also their surrounding cultural heritage. Understanding desertification from a scientific and economic perspective may differ from the indigenous point of view, so combating it may vary, too. By interviewing community elders and leaders living around Hegra World Heritage Site, Saudi Arabia, and observing cultural heritage sites and traditional oases of AlUla, we explore the integration between heritage, ecology, and traditional knowledge to combat desertification. We shed light on a long-term and community-based ecological system that has been developed and transported for decades between many generations and is now largely ignored as the town modernizes. Using AlUla in Saudi Arabia as a case study, this paper formulates two themes. The first reveals the perspective of elders concerning the causes that contribute to desertification, highlighting their invaluable indigenous knowledge and lived experiences. Their insights offer a unique lens through which to understand the ecological challenges faced by communities living in arid regions and desert ecosystems. The second offers indigenous approaches these communities employ to combat desertification and protect their surrounding cultural heritage artifacts and ecosystems. By exploring these community-based practices and knowledge, we gain a more profound recognition of the interplay between cultural traditions and sustainable environmental practices. These results can be a source of inspiration for contemporary landscape architects and urban designers, including decision-makers, to address desertification while considering population expansion.
Abdulrahman Alshami, a Saudi landscape architect and teaching assistant at King Saud University, holds a BLA from King Abdulaziz University, an MLA from the University of Technology Sydney, and is presently pursuing a Ph.D. at UTS. His research focuses on the utilization of Arab traditional ecological knowledge in combatting desertification while safeguarding cultural heritage. Committed to the advancement of environmental sustainability and cultural preservation, Abdulrahman eagerly anticipates contributing his scholarly insights at the forthcoming Local Cultures – Global Spaces conference.
Professor Martin, a seasoned landscape architecture academic and practitioner, boasts over three decades of experience. In practice, he’s spearheaded high-profile projects in Australia and New Zealand, with notable contributions to Auckland, Wellington waterfronts, Darling Harbour, Sydney Olympic Park, and Green Square. His accolades include the Lloyd Rees Award for Urban Design and the prestigious 2013 Rosa Barba Prize. In academia, Martin is an international authority on urban ecology and resilience, earning awards like the Charlie Challenger NZILA award. His leadership roles include Head of School Architecture (UTS), and he currently serves as the Course Director of Landscape Architecture at UTS, a program recognized among the world’s top three landscape schools in the Barcelona Biennal in 2021.
Dr. Andrew, a Senior Lecturer in landscape architecture, is a transdisciplinary scholar with a focus on how landscape architecture can reshape our understanding of the environment. His research explores the normalization of technological practices in urban and natural settings, including changing aesthetics in ‘re-wilded’ urban landscapes and media representations of large-scale infrastructures. With experience in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Singapore, Andrew’s work centers on Asian landscape cultures and urbanism. He’s contributed to projects related to ecologies, infrastructures, and urbanism through prestigious institutions. Andrew’s diverse academic background and research contributions span academic journals, scholarly books, and professional publications.
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Tuesday 5th December, 2023