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Popular Posts...

  • The Persian ice house, or how to make ice in the desert
    April 4, 2016

    The Persian ice house, or how to make ice in the desert

  • Build with Gambia Earth Architecture Workshop: Experimenting with local materials in rural Gambia
    August 18, 2019

    Build with Gambia Earth Architecture Workshop: Experimenting with local materials in rural Gambia

  • Earthbag domes of Dome Lombok: From ecotourism to earthquake-resistant housing
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    Earthbag domes of Dome Lombok: From ecotourism to earthquake-resistant housing

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  • Bridge building with Toni Rüttimann and rural communities of Myanmar
    December 17, 2019

    Bridge building with Toni Rüttimann and rural communities of Myanmar

  • Floating villages and gardens of Inle Lake
    January 4, 2016

    Floating villages and gardens of Inle Lake

  • Traditional earth lodges of the Great Plains
    July 7, 2016

    Traditional earth lodges of the Great Plains

  • Searching for windcatchers in Hyderabad
    February 15, 2016

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  • Providing clean drinking water to the people of Lake Atitlan
    June 19, 2017

    Providing clean drinking water to the people of Lake Atitlan

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    Ganvie, Africa’s largest lake village

agriculture

Traditional desert architecture of South-East Tunisia
Historic sites, Vernacular architecture October 30, 2024

Traditional desert architecture of South-East Tunisia

481 Views 0 by Erika

The desert region of South-East Tunisia is home to some extraordinary traditional architecture, including cave houses and fortified granaries.

Life inside the volcanic crater of Pico do Fogo
Communities, Environment March 29, 2019

Life inside the volcanic crater of Pico do Fogo

641 Views 0 by Erika

The residents of Chã das Caldeiras on the Cape Verdean island of Fogo choose to live inside the crater of an active volcano despite the constant threat of eruption.

Innovative agriculture meets entrepreneurship at MyFarm
Agriculture, Social sustainability January 10, 2019

Innovative agriculture meets entrepreneurship at MyFarm

319 Views 0 by Erika

MyFarm is an educational demonstration farm that is improving livelihoods in The Gambia by promoting agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship.

Senegalese villages fight desertification and poverty by becoming ecovillages
Agriculture, Communities, Environment, Social sustainability, Volunteering August 19, 2018

Senegalese villages fight desertification and poverty by becoming ecovillages

2,222 Views 2 by Erika

Rural communities in Senegal are turning to permaculture and the global ecovillage movement in an effort to fight desertification while improving food security and quality of life.

Sadhana Forest and improving food security through reforestation in Haiti
Agriculture, Environment, Social sustainability, Volunteering January 8, 2018

Sadhana Forest and improving food security through reforestation in Haiti

630 Views 0 by Erika

Sadhana Forest is fighting malnutrition and deforestation in Haiti by planting food-bearing trees with the help of local community members.

Improving indigenous lives with coffee and culture
Communities, Social sustainability, Volunteering September 18, 2017

Improving indigenous lives with coffee and culture

230 Views 0 by Erika

Preservation of culture and a women’s coffee cooperative are two grassroots projects by the members of La Laguna indigenous community in Nicaragua.

Rise and fall of ancient Maya water management
Environment, Historic sites, Water May 22, 2017

Rise and fall of ancient Maya water management

4,211 Views 0 by Erika

Elegant water management strategies made the rise of the ancient Maya possible, but did it also make them vulnerable to climate change and collapse?

Tropical agroforestry at Maya Mountain Research Farm
Agriculture, Volunteering March 23, 2017

Tropical agroforestry at Maya Mountain Research Farm

900 Views 0 by Erika

Maya Mountain Research Farm in Belize shows how agroforestry and permaculture can turn damaged soil back into naturally productive landscapes.

Rammed earth construction at a future ecocenter
Architecture, Vernacular architecture, Volunteering January 25, 2017

Rammed earth construction at a future ecocenter

1,317 Views 1 by Erika

Rammed earth is a popular sustainable building technique, and the key to building a quality rammed earth structure is understanding the materials.

Urban farming and its necessity in Cuba
Agriculture, Cities November 28, 2016

Urban farming and its necessity in Cuba

691 Views 0 by Erika

Isolation from world trade has forced Cuba to adopt widespread organic urban farming in an effort to guarantee food security on the island.

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About

Welcome to my blog! My name is Erika Alatalo and I’m a world traveler and humanitarian architect writing about sustainable development, architecture and travel. Check out this page for more information.

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