ICOMOS World Heritage Transhumance Initiative Launches Call for Poster Contributions for the Expert Conference on Transhumance Heritage

Over the 20th century, the transhumance lifestyle declined due to economic changes favouring sedentarisation and the loss of high-quality grazing areas. The shrinking population in remote rural regions further eroded transhumance heritage, fragmented communities, and led to the deterioration of traditional practices. Climate change presents an additional threat, while opportunities for adaptation and new grazing areas are often restricted by competing land uses, such as industrial, agricultural, and urban development.

The expert conference will be held in the framework of the ICOMOS Transhumance Initiative with the generous assistance of the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It intends to draw attention to the material representation of the contribution of the transhumance way of life to human exchanges, culture and biodiversity and to recognise the relevance of the transhumance way of life for present and future generations. More specifically, the objectives of the conference are:

• Building a comprehensive understanding of transhumance as a way of life and a sustainable eco-social system, how this lifestyle has shaped places and landscapes, what cultural interchanges have been generated by the seasonal movements of people across long distances;
• Understanding the diverse material manifestations of traditional transhumance and the potential for their better representation on the World Heritage List and possibly other international designations;
• Understanding the traditional governance systems of transhumance communities and the challenges of continuing them.