Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 10(1), January 2011, pp. 207-211

Traditional knowledge, weather prediction and bioindicators : A case study in , Northeastern

M Chinlampianga Research Associate (NAIP), ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Mizoram Centre, Kolasib – 796081, Mizoram E-mail: [email protected] Received 20.12.2010; revised 18.01.2011

The tribal peoples of Mizoram formerly forecasted the weather through applications of long-standing Traditional Ecological Knowledge. In this study, 16 distinct bioindicators for weather forecasting based were documented working with tribal peoples. The bioindicators were based mainly on the recognition of unique situations, the behaviour of insects, birds and mammals, characteristics of plants, and location, timing and patterns of clouds, lightning, wind, moon, sun and stars. The successful application of the forecasting knowledge is based on comparison with past events, good prognosis, close observation and a thorough understanding of the local environment. Community members, cultural leaders and local elders have observed recent anomalies in the weather, with unusual rains and abrupt changes in temperature. Due to this phenomenon, some plant species are changing their growth patterns. This type of Traditional Knowledge has excellent potential for wider application, yet, in Mizoram, as elsewhere, there is a threat to people’s livelihoods and bicultural diversity. Today, more than ever, there is an urgent need to document all traditional knowledge and folklore among the diverse ethnic communities before the traditional cultures are completely lost. Keywords : Biodiversity, Mizoram, Weather forcasting, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Bioindicators IPC Int. Cl. 8 : G01W; A01G 15/00; G01W 1/10; G01W 1/14; G01P 13/02; G08B 5/30; G08B 5/36; G08B 5/38; G08B 5/40

Traditional Ecological Knowledge is employed to Relocating settlements, temporarily or mean knowledge, innovations and practices of permanently, developing and imposing restraints on Indigenous and local communities embodying harvesting certain resources, sharing resources from traditional life-styles. It is wisdom developed over family to family or across communities and many generations of holistic traditional utilization of developing economic and social alliances have all the lands, natural resources, and environment. This been responses of indigenous communities to knowledge is generally passed down from generation environmental crises. As such, all strategies are to generation by experiential learning and by word of reflecting resilience of traditional and local mouth and is, for the most part, undocumented in communities of many societies. In relation to climate written form. Mizoram, the 23 rd state of the Indian change, perhaps even more important than responding union, covers an area of 21,087sq.km and is situated between Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh (Fig. 1). There are a variety of forest types in the state which are of immense value to humankind. These forests are threatened by various anthropogenic disturbances, including shifting cultivation, industrial logging, extraction of fuel wood by local villagers, industrialization and urbanization in some parts of the state such as Aizawl. In NE India, where the economy is predominantly agrarian and rural, nearly 80 percent of the population depends on agriculture. Tribal peoples working in subsistence agriculture constitute about 27% of the population, and nearly 87% of the people reside in a depressed economic state in nearly 43,000 villages. Fig. 1 ―Location of study areas 208 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 10, No. 1, JANUARY 2011

to environmental crises, are the ‘‘soft’’ lessons by rain is coming soon (Fig. 2). If the same activity which people can anticipate and avert calamity, thus occurs during the rainy season, a heavy rain is precluding the need for the ‘‘hard’’ lessons of drastic expected during the season. resource depletion or other undesirable outcomes of 3. Winged termite, Phingphihlip ( Reticulitermes inaction 1-3. sp.) : When these insects come out of the soil in a group after a rainfall occurs, it is believed that rain Materials and methods will not come again for some time (Fig. 3). If there The aim of this study was to document the was no rain in the previous day or week but the traditional Indigenous knowledge of some insects are coming out of the soil, rain is expected to bioindicators used for weather forecasting and come soon. assessing climate change, in order to assist cultural 4. Corn field ant, Fanghmir ( Lasius alienus ): When preservation and renewal, among different tribes of there are a number of ants moving along a path Mizoram, especially the Hmar , P aihte and Mara carrying their food items with them, a heavy rain is peoples. expected on the same day, or within one or two days. The study is based solely on data collected from the 5. Common Frog, Uchang (Rana temporaria ): If primary sources: from scheduled interviews, group the frogs croak in a water body in the afternoon until discussions with local elders; personal interaction; sunset, rain will be coming soon, even during winter and telephone communications. Various discussions and spring season. with five experienced local elders from each village 6. Bird/Hen and cock, Arpui/arpa [scientific were conducted. Three districts [Aizawl (Tanhril, name?] : If local domestic chickens search for food Muthi and Seling villages), (Champhai, even during the rain, it is commonly thought that the , Hnahlan villages] and Saiha (Saiha, rain will last for the whole day. But if the birds stop Theiva, Tuipang villages)] were covered during the searching for food when it is raining and take shelter study period of 2009-2010 (Fig. 1). Observations (in the morning or afternoon), the rain is expected to were made on site, wherever bioindicators were cease soon and to be minimal. identified. [Although data collection was tedious one 7. Location, pattern of clouds (blackish colour), because the indigenous peoples are hesitant to transfer Chhum dum : When the clouds are thick and black in their indigenous knowledge acquired from their colour, and are arranged perpendicular to the orbit of ancestors since the time immemorial. Besides, there the sun in the morning, it is said that rain is was no literature and well documented data in the approaching. study area before]. 8. A person having sciatica problem : Nowadays, a patient suffering from sciatica is said to be able to Results foretell weather phenomena according to their body In all, 15 bioindicators related to weather temperature and the pain in the affected body part forecasting were identified and documented from our (One man, Mr. Ngawihkhonang (L) (1945- 2006) was interviews and discussions with Traditional known to forecast weather (humidity, temperature and Knowledge Holders. The indicators pertain to rainfall) three or four days ahead, through the distinctive features of birds, insects, fish, plants, and temperature of his body part (foot, leg, ear or clouds, relating to weather, drought, natural forehead) affected by sciatica. The people of calamities, and we found them to be generally valid. Ngailzawl village were dependent on his weather 1. Bamboo Partridge, Vahlah (Bambusicola forecasting ability. fytchii ): If male bamboo partridges roar frequently 9. Bug species (brown in colour, medium side, during spring and summer in the morning after living both at the edge of the river and in the forest sunrise, rain is expected in the immediate future. according to the weather conditions), Tiauhmi Similarly, when it rains in the morning, the roaring of (consumed as curry) : If this particular bug is found the bamboo partridge at this time indicates that the under a stone on the bank of the river after the rain will soon stop for that day in that location. monsoon season, it is said that the autumn season is 2. Field cricket, Perhpawng ( Gryllus over and winter is beginning. If this bug species is pensylvanicus ); If a cricket brings new soil particles found in the forest during summer, it is expected that out of its hole during the dry season, it is thought that rainfall and flooding are about to begin. CHINLAMPIANGA: TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE WEATHER PREDICTION AND BIOINDICATORS IN MIZORAM 209

Fig. 2 ―Hole of field cricket indicating Fig. 3 ―Cloud at sunset at western side Fig. 4 ―A farmer from Ngaizawl village the coming of heavy rain during indicating rain is approaching opening a stone nearby river to observe autumn season moisture under surface of it to predict whether rain is near or not

10. Dried ripen chilli Solanum frutescence ) and 15. Cloud colour, time, direction and location of dried tobacco leaves ( Hmarcha rep ): If dried chillis appearance in the sky: Chhum rawng, lan hun leh become moist except during rthe ainy season, it hmun, a hawidan : If a reddish colour cloud is seen at indicates high humidity and imminent rain. sunset one western horizon (Fig. 4), rain is predicted 11. Flowering pattern of peach species, Theite par . to come within two to four days. If there is thick (Prunus sp.) : If peach or plum flowers grow from the cloud toward the south or north, the rain will be more basal region to the terminal of the tree in flowering on that side within the region. If the sky is full of season, it is predicted that there will be a good rain reddish coloured clouds appearing after a long and higher crop production than in other years. This rainfall, it is a sign that the rain will not come again in indicator has been accurate until today. that particular season. 12. Fish species, Nghavawk ( Channa spp.): When harsh climatic conditions (drought) prevail during the Discussion and conclusion summer season, some local elders would go to the The bioindicators are carefully selected, since the river to catch this particular fish species. They woult tribes noticed that only these living organisms are take it up to a hilltop, open its mouth, put small able to indicate the coming weather condition through quantity of salt in it, then turn it so that its head is their keen observation and thorough understanding of pointing toward the east. This is practice is said by the the environment. Weather indicators are mostly of ancestors to call summer rains. living organisms and is mainly based on the 13. Soil moisture and ground water level : During recognition of unique situation, assessed with the the spring and summer seasons, the villagers might behaviour of insects, birds, animals, the location and turn over any stone or border stone near a river or a pattern of cloud, wind, the Sun, the star, the moon, hillside in an open space and or clearing within the lightning, agriculture crops, etc. The tribe also gave tree canopy. If the soil under the rock or under the specific names for each calendar month, based on surface is moist it is thought that summer rain is particular expected conditions. For example, May is approaching. called Tomir thla after “ Tothli”, a wind carrying 14. Water bubble formation, Puakkau ( Paihte rainfall that occurs during this month. Rain falling dialect ): If water bubbles forms at any place on the during spring and summer (January to February) is surface of a flowing or stagnant waterbody, called Khengpui zun ; rain during the second week of particularly during a morning rain shower, it is November is called Ai-ruah; and rain in December is thought that the rain will last for whole day. My called Pawldelh Ruah ( pawl means paddy (rice) experience confirmed that this indicator was straw. As per the natural cycles of the monsoon rains, applicable. appearance of the full moon, and disappearance of the 210 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 10, No. 1, JANUARY 2011

moon, a calendar year is used traditionally for dating direct role in conservation of indigenous biodiversity. the passage of time. People say that accuracy of their The experience and knowledge of generations of set of indicators have about 60-75 per cent and there indigenous people have largely contributed to has been change in the effectiveness of set of sustainability of the community in their day-to-day indicators. According to stability and changing pattern living and in their health-care systems and agricultural of these indicators, people are now re-scheduling the systems as well. These knowledge systems including activities relating to agriculture and farming system as bio-meteorological need to be explored, studied, a whole. characterized and documented before they are lost Since the inhabitants of the State are still adopting under the onslaught of ongoing and future shifting cultivation, especially in a rural and remote developmental projects. area, the cropping system and cropping pattern are Realizing the importance of folklore in the lives of more or less similar across the region. A settle Mizo society, it can be concluded that the indigenous framing system and integrated farming system for systems of knowledge represent a tri-confluence of sustainable agriculture is adopted at some places of knowledge, culture and development. Hence, there is urban and/or town area .The farmer used to select and an urgent need to record all the information among cultivate agro-horticulture crops which require less in the diverse ethnic communities before the traditional puts like fertilizer, water, early maturing variety, culture is completely lost. Often, the tribe’s are variety suitable for their land and adaptable to the exploited by the modern societies and they are local climatic condition to minimize the risk and for forbidden to apply the traditional knowledge with food security as well.. Unfortunately the farmer could which their lives are strongly interwoven with the not take any preventive measure for the strategy of natural ecosystem and local environment. climate change. The livelihood improvement is The knowledge on weather and climate held by depending on their farming system and government local and tribal communities can play significant role policy in the state. The socio-economics status of the in developing location package of practices for tribe is now totally depend on their proper planning of specially agriculture. Knowledge of weather and their farm, input capacity, adoption of new technology climate of local people could be integrated with local etc. The traditional knowledge of weather forecasting planning and strategies in mitigation and adaptation. has more or less impact on their daily farming However, the formal and informal knowledge systems activities (Ommer and Turner, 2004; Atleo, 2004; of local and Indigenous peoples (often called TEK) Turner, 2005; Senos et al ., 2006).), and involve in all need to be documented, and tuned after careful kinds of activities other than healthcare system in refinement and validation. N the other hand, local and their respective family. Agriculture farming is at risk tribal communities need to be trained and exposed starting from land preparation till it reaches the towards the new development and research works in consumer hand and is depend on many biotic and a climate change science. biotic factors.Yet, despite all of these pressures and disruptions to their lives, many Mizo people and the Acknowledgement communities have managed to retain their cultural The author is thankful to those elders and others at identity and key facets of their knowledge systems. the respective villages who shared their valuable GOOD knowledge and experiences with me. I also extend my Climate change represents probably the greatest thanks to Dr B P Nautiyal, Associate Professor and human induced threat to our planet and its Head in Horticulture, Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, biodiversity of all time (Intergovernmental Panel on Mizoram University, for encouraging me to undertake Climate Change 4. Globally, climate change and its this research. The author also extends his regard to Dr effects on biocultural diversity are being Ranjay K Singh, Senior Scientist (Agricultural recognized 5,6 . However, climate change and its impact Extension) Department of Technical Evaluation & on Indigenous communities and local biodiversity are Transfer, Central Soil Salinity Research Institute difficult to document systematically because they are (CSSRI), Indian Council of Agricultural Research, so complex 7,8 . It is seldom realized that cultural Karnal, Haryana for his encouragement in traditions help in preserving and continuing plant documenting our Mizo traditional and indigenous related practices and skills, which ultimately play a knowledge and his kind support. CHINLAMPIANGA: TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE WEATHER PREDICTION AND BIOINDICATORS IN MIZORAM 211

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