10 An abandoned home left as a solid mass. 11 A door consumed by hardened mud in an aban- doned home. 12 A new cityscape of brick and cement homes, and poured concrete decoration —all in Djenne, Mali 13 A recently restored madrasa, or Koranic school with sculptural portal.
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It is unfortunate that vernacular or traditional architecture tends to fall outside current discourse on sustainability when it has shown its ability to survive in the harshest en- vironments and with the least resources. But this wealth of inspiration and wisdom is threatened daily. Drought has affected the lives of many. It has brought locusts, mos- quitoes, and malaria. It has forced mass migrations and urbanisation. In the case of nomadic tribes, water short- age has resulted in the need to settle for the first time in their history. Farmers are now forced to grow only dryland crops such as millet and sorghum. Prices in markets are high as a result of demand, and malnutrition is endemic. In one village, a tainted water supply (the village had only one open well) had caused much sickness amongst the children and had killed much of the livestock. The effect on the built environment has also been con- siderable. With more pressing issues at hand, more and more mud construction is being abandoned, and left to melt into a solid dirt mass within the urban fabric. In the case of Agadez, Niger, neo-colonial foreigners buy derelict and abandoned properties (for relatively little) within the historic centre and put up high-walled vacation complexes. In other cases, locals may replace the traditional home with one of brick and cement, primarily for less short-term maintenance. The magnitude of these and other problems is alarming. Yet if we do indeed consider ourselves part of a global com- munity (since we in the West reap the economic benefits of globalisation), then those in more fortunate circumstances should at least bridge the effects of our wasteful industri- alisation with the plight of those living in shadow of our indifference. If indeed global temperatures are to rise 4-6 degrees in the future, it is these parts of the world that will suffer even greater devastation, and we will passively wit- ness the loss of something great.
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on site review 17
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