Where the forest recedes: Land use changes in mountain areas and their impacts on the livelihoods of Indigenous communities.
Assigned Session: FS 3.146: Assessing the impacts of environmental drivers on natural capital, ecosystem condition and services, and human well-being in mountain areas
Abstract ID: 3.13158 | Accepted as Talk | Requested as: Talk | TBA | TBA
Dhanya Vijayan (1)
Liji, Kareyapath (2); Anu Susan, Sam (3); Renoy, Girindran (4)
(1) Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder str 84, 15374 Müncheberg, DE
(2) Czech University of Life Science, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences Czech University of Life Science, Prague
(3) Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala Agricultural University, Regional Agricultural Station, Kumarakom, India
(4) University of Nottingham, Rights Lab, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
Abstract
Conversion of natural forests into forest plantations is a global issue that impairs climate change, contributes to biodiversity loss, and threatens the livelihoods of Indigenous communities who depend on forests. India is home to about 700 Indigenous groups with a population of 104 million. These ethnic people mostly live in mountains close to the vicinity of forests and directly or indirectly depend on the natural forests for their livelihoods. Therefore, any changes to the composition of these natural forests can have profound effects on Indigenous communities. In India, most rights and ownership of forests, including their management, are held by the government, and government policies dictate how forest lands are managed. Research has shown a significant loss of natural forests in India, while the area covered by forest plantations is rapidly increasing. Based on a selected number of case studies from the mountain regions of the Western Ghats – a global biodiversity hotspot- in India, this study analyses: i) the broad impacts of changes in natural forests on the livelihoods of Indigenous people in mountainous regions; ii) the shifts in traditional practices and knowledge stemming from these land use changes; and iii) the perspectives of Indigenous communities regarding the implications of these transformations on their lives and cultures. Our results show that there have been considerable changes in the livelihood of Indigenous communities and their dependency on forests has considerably declined. We also argue that the issue extends beyond just the loss of livelihoods; it involves much deeper consequences, including the loss of Indigenous knowledge and practices that have developed over centuries of interaction between humans and nature. Our study further highlights that preserving natural forests is vital not only for sustaining the livelihoods of Indigenous peoples but also for maintaining environmental sustainability in mountain regions and for safeguarding Indigenous communities, their traditional knowledge, and their culture.
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