Wall. Pipe. Dream.
Proposed Infrastructure Solutions to Land Degradation in the African Sahel
The Great Green Wall (GGW) and the Trans Africa Pipeline (TAP) are two mega-projects which seek to address and prevent the apparent expansion of the Sahara Desert Southwards towards the center of the continent. While similar in motivation, the projects contrast in terms intent and scale. The GGW project has been underway since 2011, and the TAP project is still in speculation as it seeks to secure partnerships and financing towards implementation.
Drawing upon data from a variety of sources - interviews with designers, policy makers and aid workers; reviews of popular media and academic critiques of the projects; and a graphic analysis of archival and contemporary geospatial data - this thesis situates itself within a critical review of an emerging world view focused on “thinking big,” and the representation of all encompassing solutions which are “necessary” to respond to the meta-narrative of Climate Change.
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This thesis remains unpublished. Please get in touch for more information.
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