Ainhoa Janices Estraviz

 

A New Threat to the Nubian Past: Climate Change and Dam Campaign

 

Abstract: Nubian heritage has been overshadowed by the study of ancient Egyptian culture in history due to different factors, such as the racist bias in modern historiography. However, the preservation and study of the Kushite culture have to face new problems. Rising temperatures and increasingly frequent sandstorms are just the beginning of how climate change is affecting the Middle Nile. Besides that, the Middle Nile has experienced an important change in its hydrological system by the construction of dams by the Egyptian, Sudanese and Ethiopian governments. These dams have not only been a change in the environment, but it has endangered the material cultures of these countries. The heritage of the Kushite Kingdom is one that is substantially affected by the creation of these infrastructures. In addition, current Nubian communities have lost their homes and villages, as well as have been affected by a worsening of their quality of life. Therefore, this essay will analyse how climate change and human activity have affected the Nubian culture, from the stones of the ancient buildings to their traditions. 

 

Bio: Ainhoa Estraviz studied Art History at the University Complutense of Madrid where she specialised in Contemporary Art, something she expanded during her time at the University of Turku, Finland. Due to her interest in the potential of contemporary art as a tool for debate and education in the museums, she enrolled at the University of Amsterdam, where she is currently doing her Master’s in Museums & Heritage.