Ranjay K Singh

Elderly Adi women of Arunachal Pradesh: "living encyclopedias" and cultural refugia in biodiversity conservation of the Eastern Himalaya, India.

Elderly women of a particular socioecological system are considered to be “living encyclopedias” in biocultural knowledge systems. These women play a pivotal role in retaining and passing on biodiversity-related traditional knowledge to the next generations. Unfortunately the fast changing sociocultural values and the impact of modernity have rendered their knowledge somewhat less valuable and they are being treated as “cultural refugia.” Our study on the importance of these women in the conservation of indigenous biodiversity was conducted in 14 randomly selected villages dominated by the Adi tribe of East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh (northeast India). Data were collected from 531 women (381 elderly and 150 young to middle aged) during 2003–2008 using conventional social science methods and participatory rural appraisal. One innovative method, namely “recipe contest,” was devised to mobilize Adi women of each village in order to energies them and explore their knowledge relating to traditional foods, ethnomedicines, and conservation of indigenous biodiversity. Results indicated that 55 plant species are being used by elderly Adi women in their food systems, while 34 plant species are integral parts of ethnomedicinal practices. These women identified different plant species found under multistory canopies of community forests. Elderly women were particularly skilled in preparing traditional foods including beverages and held significantly greater knowledge of indigenous plants than younger women. Lifelong experiences and cultural diversity were found to influence the significance of biodiversity use and conservation. The conservation of biodiversity occurs in three different habitats: jhum lands (shifting cultivation), Morang forest (community managed forests), and home gardens. The knowledge and practice of elderly women about habitats and multistory vegetations, regenerative techniques, selective harvesting, and cultivation practices contribute significantly to food and livelihood security while sustaining an array of threatened plant species. Basically, knowledge of elderly women on using biodiversity in food and medicinal systems was found in three categories namely: “individual,” “community,” and “refined.” We identified a need to develop holistic policies to recognize and integrate knowledge and practices of elderly women with local level of planning on sustainable conservation of biodiversity as well as community-based adaptations.

Agro-biodiversity in rice–wheat-based agroecosystems of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India: implications for conservation and sustainable management

In this study, we analysed the indigenous practices of agro-biodiversity, changing patterns of cropping systems and conservation of agriculturally important natural resources of rice–wheat-based agroecosystems. The research was carried out in three villages of Azamgarh district, eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. Participatory approaches and personal interviews were combined to collect the data from 180 farmers. The results indicated that resource-poor (RP) farmers, by applying traditional practices of natural resource conservation, outperform their rich (RR) counterparts in conserving agro-biodiversity. Increase in irrigation facilities, adoption of improved crop varieties, commercialisation of farming and socio-economic changes have threatened the agro-biodiversity and related natural resources of these agroecosystems. For most of the crops, the RP farmers had better production stability as compared to the RR ones because the former tend to apply more sustainable and ecologically sound indigenous practices. A negative growth rate was observed in the area/numbers and production of legumes, livestock, pasture lands and community forestry. Women, who are the local custodians of conserving indigenous biodiversity (uncultivated species) and crop varieties through localised knowledge and sociocultural institutions, had significantly higher knowledge on agro-biodiversity than men. We concluded that integration of farmers’ eco-friendly practices with formal science and policy-making in a participatory mode may enhance sustainability of functions of agroecosystem leading to the strengthening of adaptive practices in changing climate and socio-economic scenario.

Classification and management of community forests in Indian Eastern Himalayas: implications on ecosystem services, conservation and livelihoods

IntroductionEvidence is mounting that traditional knowledge can play a critical role in shaping the biodiversity conservation strategies and maintaining ecosystem services. This study was conducted with Adi community of Arunachal Pradesh (Ar P) state in the Eastern Indian Himalayas to understand as how local systems of forest classification governs conservation tradition and influences subsistence livelihoods. Twenty Adi villages were sampled from East Siang district of Ar P. A total of 197 men and 204 women (total of 401) Adi respondents were selected for this study. A combination of methodologies including in-depth interview, transect walks, focus group discussion, participant observation and informal interactions were combined for data collection.ResultsLocal forests are classified into 10 different categories based on indicators such as topography, cultural significance, use typology, ownership rights and plant diversity indicators. Local people assign different values (economic, cultural and ecological) to different forest types. Overall, morang followed by regpi and homegardens are perceived to be more valuable to the local needs than other forests with relative ranking of a particular forest reflecting its sustainability. Adis access several diverse services from these community-managed forests. Compared to men (3–35%), the role of women was assessed to be much higher (65 to 100%) in conserving forest biodiversity. Woman-led practices, instrumental in sustainable forest management, included deliberate manipulations of micro-habitats, sustainable harvesting strategies and species domestication. Men were mostly involved in ownership and decision-making roles and in devising social norms to ensure sustainability. Adi celebrate a number of cultural events to sustain biodiversity. Forest-based livelihoods are intrinsically connected to forest resource conservation and are governed by community approaches. Most of the community members gather plants, hunt wild animals and access other ecosystem services from these forests to sustain their livelihoods. Community-owned forests are collectively managed by an indigenous institution ‘Kebang’. Conflicts relating to forest land use and resource management are resolved by the customary chief ‘Gaon Burha’ and his associates using traditional norms.ConclusionsAdi’s system of forest classification, based on ecological, socio-cultural and livelihood indicators, is a location-specific yet comprehensive in nature. Study suggests that integrating the local indicators applied in classifying and strategies applied in managing the local forests can provide valuable insights to the policy makers for the sustainable conservation of forest resources.

Hunting of kebung (Ratufa bicolor) and other squirrel species from morang forest by the Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, India: biocultural conservation and livelihood dimensions

Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India is considered a biocultural diversity hotspot, with diverse tribal peoples and immense floral and faunal diversity. This rich diversity, sustained through the morang (community forests) and jhum (slash and burn) cultivation systems, is the backbone of native communities’ livelihood security. Kebung (Ratufa bicolor) and other squirrel species are intricately related to biocultural systems of the Adi people of Arunachal Pradesh. Primary surveys and participatory rural appraisals were carried out in 20 villages of East Siang and Upper Siang districts of the state. Results indicated that Kebung squirrels are hunted from successional forests, including from morang and jhum lands. They are an integral part of the Adi sociocultural, economic and livelihood systems, being used for food, medicinal, ceremonial and other purposes. Hunting methods vary in the traditional and transitional Adi villages. Recently, kebung populations have diminished, and this is attributed to overhunting. In particular, a decrease in kebung populations in some morang and jhum habitats has threatened the biocultural resources of the Adi. Knowledge and management practices relating to kebung hunting are gradually eroding among the younger Adi generations. However, the community recently passed a resolution for kebung conservation, supported by the customary norms. We conclude with a discussion of policy requirements for sustainable management of kebung populations to maintain Adi biocultural and livelihood security.