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CATEGORY
The AA VS Climate Cartographies investigates the longue durée of climate change through heritage sites using cartographic methodologies. The first iteration of the program focused on Meroë, specifically the Royal City and its Cemetery, as a foundation for these discussions. The environmental changes affecting the site are historical and continue to evolve, as images from less than a hundred years ago indicate a rapidly shifting ecological system that has left traces on the landscape and the material remains of the site. Recent interventions aim to protect the site from flooding and sandstorms, which have intensified in recent years. The course is structured around three interconnected themes: Critical Climates, Critical Heritage, and Climate Imaginations. Critical Climates examines the historical evolution of climate change impacting the Nile, tracing its roots from ancient times to the contemporary challenges faced at the site and highlighting the comprehensive interventions undertaken by various organizations to respond to these issues. Bioarchaeologist Iwona Kozieradzka-Ogunmakin presented her hypothesis linking environmental changes to the collapse of the Meroë civilization. Additionally, architectural historian Alexandra Riedel from the Qatar Sudan Archaeological Project (QSAP) discussed the climatic challenges faced at the site, such as issues related to water and sand, and proposed various mitigation strategies to alleviate the effects of flooding and desertification. Architect and planner Elkindi Elaagip contributed insights from his experience with the Ministry of Planning and the UN-Habitat, highlighting policies that exacerbate flooding and sharing materials that promote resilience. Suzi Merghani, a volunteer with the grassroots organization Nafeer, facilitated a conversation in Arabic about the group’s work as a non-profit, voluntary entity focused on mitigating the impacts of flooding for those displaced by it.
Iwona Kozieradzka-Ogunmakin explored the historical environmental shifts in the Sahara region, particularly in Nubia. She highlighted the methods employed by bioarchaeologists to interpret these changes and how data derived from this analysis can inform theories linking the environmental transformations to the historical collapse of the Meroë civilization.
Bioarchaeologist Iwona Kozieradzka-Ogunmakin presented her hypothesis linking environmental changes to the collapse of the Meroë civilization.
Alexandra Riedel recounted her experiences documenting monuments and addressing conservation challenges at the site of Meroë, emphasizing the profound effects of climate change, notably desertification and flooding. She underscored the vital role of tourism at the site for the local community, advocating for continuous conservation, community involvement, and sustainable planning to safeguard these significant historical sites for future generations.
Architecture historian Alexandra Riedel discussed the climatic challenges faced at the site, such as issues related to water and sand, and proposed various mitigation strategies to alleviate the effects of flooding and desertification.
Elkindi Elaagip detailed initiatives to boost community resilience to flooding in Khartoum, focusing on urban planning, flood assessments, and workshops in areas hit hard by the 2013 floods. The project highlighted the need for effective planning policies, improved stormwater management, and enhanced inter-agency collaboration, advocating for a holistic approach that considers community input and environmental factors.
Architect and planner Elkindi Elaagip contributed his insights from his experience with the Ministry of Planning and the United Nations Habitat, highlighting policies that exacerbate flooding and sharing materials that promote resilience.
Suzi Merghani from Nafeer discussed the mitigation strategies they implement to support those affected by flooding, emphasizing how their hands-on approach has provided valuable data about the changes in flooding patterns over the years. She also addressed the challenges faced by their unregistered volunteer organization, particularly in navigating various governance issues before and after the revolution and how these challenges impact their work.
Suzi Merghani, a volunteer with the grassroots organization Nafeer, facilitated a conversation in Arabic about the group’s work as a non-profit, voluntary entity focused on mitigating the impacts of flooding for those displaced by it.
This has been commissioned and uniquely presented for Urgent Pedagogies, published as part of Urgent Pedagogies Issue #11: Climate Cartographies.
Climate Cartographies was partly supported by the British Institute of Eastern Africa, the British Academy, and the architecture firm Iskan.
is a Bioarchaeologist and Lecturer at the University of Exeter and Assistant Professor at the University of Warsaw. Since 2002, she has been actively involved in archaeological research in the Nile Valley, working with international teams at high-profile sites in Egypt and Sudan. Her research explores the relationship between people and their historical environments through patterns of health and disease, subsistence and migration. In particular, she is interested in the climate and environmental changes and their impact on human populations, past and present. Her recent project, Environmental Changes and the Collapse of the Kingdom of Meroe, Sudan, highlights the historical climate and environmental changes.
is an architect and architectural historian interested in Roman and Meroitic architecture and cultural heritage preservation. She taught building history and documentation at the University of Technology in Cottbus/Germany. She has participated in survey and excavation projects in Sudan, Italy, Jordan and Turkey. Since 2013, Alexandra has been a scientific staff member at the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin. She co-directs the Qatari Mission for the Pyramids of Sudan (QMPS) at the World Heritage Site of Meroe/Sudan.
graduated from the Department of Architecture, University of Khartoum in 2002. He has a mix of experience, including architectural consultancy services at different firms, teaching in universities, and participating in research-based projects during his work in the Ministry of Physical Planning Ministry in Khartoum state. From 2014 to 2015, he was a member of a consultancy team as an urban planning consultant for the UN-Habitat in a project on Emergency Flood Response in Khartoum for Vulnerable Communities.
is a member of Nafeer, a civil society organisation founded in 2013 by a group of volunteers working together to aid families affected by the heavy rains and the resulting floods in various areas of Sudan. The initiative consists of members in the country and the diaspora, each contributing with their work, expertise or resources. The initiative has become a point of contact for those affected by the floods. They receive reports, conduct field surveys, and collect and distribute relief support. Nafeer has been building a database from the work they have been carrying out over the years.
Iwona Kozieradzka-Ogunmakin, and Arkadiusz Sołtysiak. “Isotopic evidence of an environmental shift at the fall of the Kushite kingdom of Meroë, Sudan.” Antiquity 97, no. 396 (2023): 1501-1515. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/isotopic-evidence-of-an-environmental-shift-at-the-fall-of-the-kushite-kingdom-of-meroe-sudan/F1E99ABE788A8EE938A7A83FFEB73212
Alexandra Riedel (2015). Sand and water–and their effect on the pyramids of Meroe in the Sudan. Water& Heritage.
Alexandra Riedel, and Jan Hamann (2009). From the Quarry to the Finished Building. In Third International Congress on Construction History, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germany, 20th-24th May 2009.
Iwona Kozieradzka-Ogunmakin, and Arkadiusz Sołtysiak (in preparation). Strontium isotope insight into migration and land use patterns in Nubia in Late Antiquity.
Iwona Kozieradzka-Ogunmaki. Crossing Boundaries: People’s Movement and the Collapse of the Kingdom of Meroe (300 BC – AD 350). University of Manchester.
Architectural Association School of Architecture Visiting School Climate Cartographies: https://climatecartographies.aaschool.ac.uk/
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Urgent Pedagogies is an IASPIS project.
