Value Assessment of Cultural Landscape in Alckas Settlement, Southwestern Saudi Arabia

• Published in: Ambio 2000-03, Vol.29 (2), p.60-66
• Main Author: Saleh, Eben
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0044-7447
• DOI: 10.1043/0044-7447(2000)029(0060:VAOCLI)2.0.CO;2

Over the years, cultural, economic and social factors have led to the development of distinct cultural landscapes in and around the villages of the highlands of southwestern Saudi Arabia. Through centuries, the local inhabitants perpetuated this cultural landscape through subsistence agriculture and managed local natural resources through consensus-driven institutions. This paper describes the changes that have taken place with regard to the cultural landscape in a village of Asir province of Saudi Arabia. This community has recently experienced profound changes in its social, cultural, administrative and technical conditions. The situation of this and similar villages in this province is a particularly clear and interesting case of a general phenomenon of structural change in society interacting with the physical environment producing attitudinal and consequently physical changes in the field of environmental identity particularly at the macro-level. Recent economic growth in Saudi Arabia and an opening of the village of Alckas to outside influences has placed the future of this cultural landscape in doubt. The paper explores the basis of new values and examines some of the conflicts which will need to be resolved. Alckas cultural landscape continues to reflect the local identity of the place and residents and represents the regional characteristics of the highlands of southwestern Saudi Arabia.