Far from being lifeless, lawless or worthless, deserts are increasingly thought of as dynamic biodiverse places where indigenous knowledge offers rich contributions to science, government and society. Through the lens of Wanuri Kahiu's 2009 film Pumzi (rated 12), this event asks: can contemporary climate fiction ('cli-fi') help us to rethink arid lands as spaces for new ecological world-making? How do stories of water wars or their opposite, 'making the desert bloom', offer alternative futures that might place drylands - covering more than a third of Earth's surface - at the heart of our thinking about the future?
The event centres on deserts in the context of climate fiction (cli-fi), drawing on the environmental humanities, historical geography, political theory, history of science, Black/Africana studies and political ecology. Speakers will respond to the film, discussing ecological worldmaking, arid ecologies and 'water wars'.
Panel: Dr Brittany Meché, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Williams College and IASH Fellow; Dr Hannah Boast, Chancellor's Fellow in English Literature; Dr Rahul Ranjan, Lecturer in Environmental and Climate Justice.
Book tickets via the Science Festival: https://www.edinburghscience.co.uk/event/desert-future/