INVESTIGADORES
TORRES Laura Maria Del Rosario
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Redimensioning tensions for old structures: Traditional technological devices in landscape construction and territory management
Autor/es:
LAURA TORRES; GABRIALE PASTOR
Lugar:
Davos
Reunión:
Conferencia; UNCCD 2nd Scientific Conference; 2013
Institución organizadora:
UNCCD
Resumen:
Studying traditional knowledge is a field of renewed interest in investigations spanning several disciplinary areas. Although exploration of this knowledge has experienced a development that has oscillated between their valuation and their depreciation as an object of study, international recommendations for heritage conservation, desertification combat, among others, promote not only their being taken into account at the time of decision making, but also the adding of value to intervention strategies. This is because it was seen that actions carried out in territories affected by desertification processes have been guided by criteria derived from the technical field rather than by the understanding of the logic of production and reproduction that traditional technologies contain. This situation has led to conceive extreme paradoxes like the destruction of devices that act as nature conservation strategies. Hence, we ask: What do these artifacts mean to the communities that produce, use and maintain them? What are the benefits these communities get from them? In an attempt to answer these questions, this work addresses the role that traditional technological devices play in constructing landscape in drylands and explores their potential use for a more sustainable management of territories affected by desertification processes. From a case study, and using qualitative methodologies and in situ surveys, we identify the technologies and devices that are part of the traditional knowledge associated with access to water, with special emphasis on “jagüel” wells and landscapes emerging from these practices. Next, we move forward in the assessment of their potential use in strategies for heritage conservation in land management. Finally, the conclusions put forth some theoretical-conceptual considerations, and raise new questions in light of the resilience capacity of these systems in the new scenarios