One of the sites included in the exhibition on threatened desert environments is Atacama Desert, Chile.
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New tourism threatens desert ecosystems worldwideApril 11, 2007The Department of Urban Planning and Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) hosted a conference April 4-5 titled “Desert Tourism: Delineating the Fragile Edges of Development.” Panel discussions with leading architects, planners, and developers explored the relationship between tourism, social development, and the architecture and landscapes of arid regions around the world. The discussions began with the premise that deserts have lost their stigma as inhospitable, inaccessible places and are becoming an ever-more popular tourist destination. The growth of tourism, however, jeopardizes the deserts’ fragile ecosystems and strains their scarce resources, affecting both the landscape and the local population. |
