Ecological Dynamics in the Atacama Desert

We will introduce preliminary work towards a research project that, in collaboration with the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile, will look at the Pampa del Tamarugal afforestation initiative. This was a pioneering effort to combat desertification in one of the world’s driest regions, the Atacama Desert, in northern Chile. Between 1920 and 1946, nearly 20,000 hectares were planted with tamarugos (Prosopis tamarugo), aiming to restore ecosystems and provide food security in conditions of extreme aridity. Now almost a century old, this initiative offers valuable insights into the long-term evolution and resilience of afforestation in harsh, dry conditions, making it a replicable model for addressing desertification in other regions.

Speakers:

Recipients of the 2024 Harvard-UAI Collaborative Research Grants.

Pablo Pérez-Ramos is Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he coordinates the first-semester Landscape Architecture Core Studio and teaches research seminars and lecture courses in landscape theory. He holds Doctor of Design and master's in landscape architecture degrees from the GSD and is a licensed architect from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (ETSAM).

Tomas Folch is a Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Ecology, Landscape and Urbanism –CEPU- of the Design Lab of the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Santiago and a Founding Partner at PAUR. Folch earned his undergraduate Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and his master's in landscape architecture from the GSD. 

This event is presented in collaboration with DRCLAS Chile Office, Harvard Graduate School of Design and Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez. 

To learn more about the Harvard-UAI Collaborative Research Grants, click here. 

This event is part of Worldwide Week at Harvard.