The most recognizable landmark in the ancient city of Petra is Ad Deir, also known as The Monastery. An ancient civilization of traders called the Nabateans carved this monument and others into the desert more than 2,000 years ago.
“The impact of climate change at Wadi Musa is very clear,” says Alfarajat. “If you want to see climate change impacts in front of your face, come to Petra.” Abo Mohammad descends into the well-house that protects Ain Al Sarab spring, a source of water that was known and used by the ancient Nabatean Kingdom that once inhabited modern day Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Ain Al Sarab has continued to provide fresh water for drinking and irrigation for over 2,000 years and is still in use by the community of Wadi Musa in Jordan today.The mountains around Petra are shaped like a bowl, with the ancient city at the center.
Research shows the Nabateans, too, had to deal with seasonal flooding and drought. Desert traders who ruled the region until around 300 A.D., the Nabateans were a key link in the trade in luxury goods between the Roman Empire and their neighbors to the east. The features that made the area around Wadi Musa attractive for the ancient Nabateans—its winding canyons, high peaks and plateaus, and protected valleys—also make it vulnerable to flooding today.
It’s a crucial effort. As the Earth’s climate shifts, once-in-a-century events like the deadly floods that hit Petra in 1963 are likely to get more frequent, with rainfall in the region increasing by an estimated 40 percent by 2050. “Flooding, which has always been part of Petra’s story, will get more intense,” Herrmann says.
The Petra work is a sort of pilot project to show how adapting and responding to climate change can make a big difference to heritage sites. In a, the Preserving Legacies team says the risks to Petra over the coming decades are moderate— “not because hazards are not there,” Sabour says, “but because the community and authorities have been exploring creative ways to adapt, and training people to respond.