European Journal of Environmental Ecology

AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL OBSERVATION ON THE ROLE OF TRIBAL COMMUNITIES IN THE CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY

Jayanta Kumar Nayak

jayanta.nayak@rediffmail.com

Tribal Communities, Biodiversity, traditional knowledge.

From the beginning of human evolution, the tribal peoples have been living in the lap of the Nature. They are very closely involved with nation‟s different biodiversities. Tribal peoples inhabit in different eco-cultural zones as well as in all biodiversity zones of India, i.e. from geo-ecological fragility in Trans Himalayan region to arid zone of Rajasthan, Coastal zones to Island zones etc. Globally tribal peoples inhabit in the 22 per cent area of total land mass representing 80 per cent of total biodiversity. Different tribal groups have different indigenous knowledge systems for the protection of biodiversity and conservation of natural resources. By their traditional knowledge, they can predict on cloud formation, lighting, wind direction, rains, drought, disaster prediction-response-mitigation, and effects of weather on crops etc. Traditional environmental knowledge of the tribal peoples of India is greatly useful in developing location specific strategies for the protection of biodiversities and also useful in mitigation plans for coping with climate change and to sustain their livelihoods. Considering the natural surroundings as their mother, the place for the ancestors or the god or as sacred one, they developed different regulatory mechanism through which they are able to protect it. They have culture specific prescriptions and taboos for the utilisation of natural products which are basically sustainable in nature. For the protection of the natural resources, they are always showing their resistance against the destroyer of the natural resources. Still due to globalisation and external interference, they are not able to implement their knowledge system and ultimately facing problems. This paper explains nationwide some cases regarding their knowledge system and tries to explain how their traditional knowledge system will be useful in ensuring sustainable life ways and the protection of biodiversity.