CULTURE AND BIODIVERSITY (Volume I) PREPARED UNDER THE NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN- INDIA Kailash C. Malhotra Coordinator 2003 Thematic Working Group on Culture and Biodiversity Mr. Feisal Alkazi Ms. Seema Bhatt (TPCG Member) Dr. Debal Deb Mr. Yogesh Gokhale Dr. Tiplut Nongbri Dr. D.N. Pandey Shri Shekhar Pathak Prof. Kailash C. Malhotra, Co-ordinator 2 (Kailash C.Malhotra, Coordinator, Thematic Group on Culture and Biodiversity (2003) . CULTURE AND BIODIVERSITY. Prepared under National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, Executed by Ministry of Environment and Forests (Government of India), technical implementation by Technical and Policy Core Group coordinated by Kalpavriksh, and administrative coordination by Biotech Consortium India Ltd., funded by Global Environment Facility through United Nations Development Programm 178 pp.) 3 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 ABBREVIATIONS USED 11 1. INTRODUCTION 12 1.1 National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan - India 1.2 Thematic Working Group on Culture and Biodiversity 1.3 Objectives 1.4 Methodology 2. CULTURE AND BIODIVERSITY 19 2.1 INTRODUCTION 2.2 The Conceptual Frame Work 2.2.1 Species Protection 2.2.2 Habitat Protection 2.2.3 Landscape Protection 3. POSITIVE – LINKS BETWEEN CULTURE AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY 21 4. THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS ETHICS IN BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN INDIA 68 5. NEGATIVE – LINKS BETWEEN CULTURE AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY 77 6. WEAKENNING OF LINKS BETWEEN CULTURE AND BIODIVERSITY 84 7. INITIATIVES TO REESTABLISH AND / OR STRENGTHEN POSITIVE LINKS BETWEEN CULTURE AND BIODIVERSITY 99 8. THE ROLE OF FOLK MUSIC AND DRAMA, ORAL LEGENDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY IN BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION 116 9. RECOMMENDATIONS 121 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 127 4 REFERENCES CITED 129 APPENDICES 137 I Composition of the Thematic Working Group on Culture and Biodiversity.137 II The modified Thematic Concept Note. 139 III Meeting of the leaders of the communities, office bearers, of various temple committees within Devarakadus, environment experts, NGOs, members of the media on 17th March 2001. 141 IV Efforts to prevent the annual ritual hunting of wild animals and birds in the outskirts of Bangalore. 170 V List of persons to whom draft report on Culture and Biodiversity was sent. 177 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. The Thematic Working Group on Culture and Biodiversity is part of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan being prepared by Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. 2. The objective of this group was to identify nature and extent of inter- relationships between wild biodiversity and different aspects of culture. The group was also to assess the current status of these relationships and to suggest a strategy and action plan to strengthen and / or revive these relationships in the present context. 3. The methodology adopted by the group was participatory. The group held several meetings of its members and consulted a large number of persons in the country for developing this report. 4. The report is presented in two Volumes. Volume I contains description and an analysis of various aspects of culture and biodiversity in the country. It also contains the recommendations. Volume II contains the contributions prepared by group members as well as the special invitees. 5. There are six substantive sections in the report that deal with positive and negative links between culture and biodiversity, religion and biodiversity, weakening of links between culture and biodiversity, initiative to revive and / or strengthen positive links between biodiversity. 6. The positive links between cultural and biological diversity have been examined from the point of view of individual species, habitats, and landscapes. The practices having positive links with biodiversity include totemic species, species of ritualistic importance, seasonal restrictions in hunting, ritual use, resource use diversification, territoriality, etc. Under habitat protection are included sacred groves, sacred ponds, trees and tanks, annual ritual hunt, shifting cultivation, the supply and safety forests, and Bishnois, and landscapes such as Rathong Chu in Sikkim. 7. A search of random literature reveals that perhaps there are hardly any traditional cultural practices in the country that have any significant negative impact on biodiversity. However, we have listed several practices that may have some negative impact. These practices are annual ritual hunt, hunt of particular species and shifting cultivation. 8. The section on religion and biodiversity brings out clearly that all religions in the country, especially Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism have strong ethos related to biodiversity conservation. 9. Several traditional practices that have positive impact on biodiversity are becoming weak due to internal factors and / or external factors. Such phenomenon have been observed at species level and also at habitat level, e.g. sacred groves and sacred ponds, tanks and trees, shifting cultivation. 10. A number of examples of revival and / or strengthening of traditions having conservation value have been cited from different parts of the country and also among different communities. Examples have been given where religious ethos have been used in rejuvenating barren landscapes and protection of domesticated crop varieties. 11. Based on the analysis of the materials presented in the report, the group suggests the following recommendations. Sacred Groves It is recommend that an inventory of sacred groves should be prepared urgently for all the states in the country. The inventory among other aspects should include location, area under 6 the grove, ownership and management, cultural and biological dimensions, nature and extent of degradation and nature and extent of threats. Action: The MoEF is best suited to undertake this task. All State forest departments should be advised to prepare such inventories in their respective states. In view of the multi- dimensional nature of SGs, a multidisciplinary team needs to be set up. The institutions that could contribute significantly are Anthropological, Botanical and Zoological surveys of Government of India. Besides state level NGOs, lead colleges/ schools and Panchayati Raj Institutions may also be involved in this process. It is recommended that efforts should be made to map the nature and extent of vegetation cover in the SGs through out the country. Action: The Forest Survey of India should be advised to develop suitable methodologies for mapping the vegetation cover in the SGs. For ground truthing support from a number of institutes, NGOs and communities currently working on biodiversity related issues could be elicited. In absence of a policy on SGs, it is recommended that the MoEF develop a policy document on SGs. In this context it may be noted that in the document – National Policy and Macro- level Strategy on biodiversity – The MoEF, GOI, 1999 under section 1.4 Approach, item vii (pg. 13) writes “Sacred groves are the rich heritage of India. occuring in various parts of the country sacred groves harbour ecosystems at pristine level. These would be treated as special areas deserving full protection and conservation”. Action: MoEF may constitute a Working Group for this purpose involving forest departments, environmental lawyers, anthropologists, ecologists and representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions and communities. Experience learnt in Kodagu (see appendix III in this report) will be of immense help in this regard. There are many groves that face threats, internal as well as external. It is recommended that in such cases campaigns should be undertaken to strengthen the SGs. The campaign could be in the form of yatras, exhibitions, workshops, printed literature, etc. (for details see Alkazi in this report, appendix II.5 in Volume II), especially aimed at people who live in the vicinity of 7 the SGs who may be made aware of the ecological functions performed by the SG and motivated to protect them. Action: The existing networks of NGOs, functionaries of SGs and academicians could be entrusted with this responsibility. The travelling exhibition on SGs and several publication on SGs prepared by Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal (IGRMS) could be used effectively for this purpose. The experience learnt in Kodagu, given in appendix III, could be widely shared with such networks, institutions and individuals. Sacred Ponds In view of aquatic conservation value and the dearth of data available on sacred ponds in the country it is recommended that Statewise inventories of the sacred ponds should be made throughout the country. Action: MoEF could involve its institutions like Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), and State Irrigation Departments, academic institutions and NGOs for preparing such an inventory. It is recommended that in view of the importance of sacred ponds in conservation of aquatic biodiversity, MoEF should prepare a policy document on sacred ponds. Action: MoEF may constitute a task force for this purpose involving fisheries departments, irrigation departments, forest departments, environmental lawyers, anthropologists, ecologists and representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions for developing a policy document. Tanks and Trees It is evident from the materials presented in section 3.2.3 that the cultural tradition of planting trees and other vegetation on tank embankments plays an important role in conservation