By Yuejia Liu（Class of 2028）
On April 16, 2026, Duke Kunshan University (DKU) hosted a session of the “Cultures and Societies” lecture series, featuring “Ordinary Frontier at the Desert’s Edge: Aspirational Ecology and Sedimented Infrastructures in Northwestern China”. Co-organized by the Center for the Study of Contemporary China and the Humanities Research Center, the event welcomed Yadong Li, a Tulane University PhD candidate in Anthropology whose work bridges ecological anthropology, anthropology of frontier, and critical infrastructure studies, to speak to the DKU community.
Li’s presentation focused on uncovering the cumulative social and ecological effects of low-profile green interventions in China’s northwestern deserts, often overlooked in narratives centered on large-scale environmental projects. Framing the discussion around “aspirational ecology” and “sedimented infrastructures,” Li examined how localized efforts—such as small-scale vegetation restoration, buried water pipelines, and fragmented windbreak forests—shape the desert frontier over time. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and case studies from regions like the Ordos Desert, Li illustrated how these ordinary infrastructures alter soil moisture, hydrological cycles, and biodiversity, while reflecting local communities’ efforts to balance livelihood needs with conservation goals. The talk also explored tensions between grassroots practices and state-led sustainability frameworks, highlighting how small-scale interventions navigate regulatory grey zones, mitigating desertification while introducing unforeseen social-ecological trade-offs.
The post-presentation discussion centered on interrogating Li’s methodologies and findings, with attendees debating the challenges of studying “invisible” infrastructures and measuring their cumulative impacts. Participants reflected on how dominant narratives of desertification prioritize high-visibility projects, erasing local communities’ roles in environmental change. Attendees explored how small-scale efforts align with or resist top-down policies like China’s Great Green Wall, while drawing parallels to grassroots ecological work in arid regions globally. The conversation also emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration, discussing how integrating ethnographic insights with environmental science can inform more context-sensitive, community-centered sustainability practices.
Key takeaways included the recognition that meaningful ecological change in deserts is rooted in cumulative forces and contested aspirations, that sedimented infrastructures carry complex, long-term impacts requiring both scientific and ethnographic analysis, and that centering marginalized voices is essential to equitable frontier sustainability solutions. The event was organized by the Center for the Study of Contemporary China and the Humanities Research Center at DKU, with sponsorship from the Humanities Research Center covering event promotion and materials for attendees.
