Climate and Culture: Field research in the Mauritanian Sahara
Andrew Bishop | Majors: International Studies, Environmental Systems Science | Minors: Middle East and North African Studies, Honors
Published May 09, 2025
Honors Capstone research in the Saharan Desert
For my Honors Capstone project, I chose to study the unique relationship between changing climate patterns in the Saharan Desert and regional cultural heritage and identity. Inspired by a semester in Morocco, and having developed a regional fascination with North Africa and the intersection of its people and their environment throughout my degree program, the chance to conduct field research in Mauritania has become the crowning achievement of my undergraduate career. Centering on the historic towns of Chinguetti and Ouadane, two former medieval centers of learning and desert caravan stops, I was fortunate to interview government officials, key local stakeholders, and storied archivists about the state of Saharan culture in Mauritania today. Beyond the dunes of central Mauritania, I also engaged with key players in the country’s capital, Nouakchott, and dissect the global factors and threats involved in the preservation of invaluable manuscripts as well as the cities/inhabitants themselves.
From this experience, I have come away with a truly expanded perspective on the value of culture, both for those from which it originates, as well as the meaning behind world heritage and global cultural value. Given both towns’ status as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as their existential situations regarding desertification and decreased viability of traditional lifestyles, my research time has instilled me with a deep sense of the world’s interconnectivity in both positive and negative lights. I have been able to access some of the most astounding examples of Saharan cultural heritage through this experience, tangible and intangible, while also witnessing environmental change in all its facets, where the Saharan human-cultural experience is itself profoundly affected.
Capstone Research can be a stepping stone
What is for certain is that my capstone experience has been an incredibly opportunity provided to me by the Honors College, and that it will influence my future academic and professional endeavors. I am incredibly grateful to the college for its continued support of my research, which I plan to present at an academic conference in the upcoming Fall. Further still, the Honors College has ensured my capstone research has become a cornerstone of my UW experience, allowing me to build skills and to ask new questions I am eagerly waiting to answer.
