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A Review on Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Its Role in Natural Resources Management: North East India, a Cultural Paradise

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Abstract

Sustainable management of natural resources plays a critical role in poverty alleviation and overall socio-economic development. North East (NE) India is blessed as a biodiversity hotspot, being also home to around 150 ethnic tribes with diverse ethical, cultural and traditional beliefs, endorsing the region as a cultural paradise rich in natural resources and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). Conversely, the severely constrained nature of TEK, has juxtaposed TEK practices and sustainable natural resources management (NRM) in this review. Deliberating on the broader perspectives of TEK and ensuing practices, we have identified twelve sustainable development goals (SDGs) which are directly correlated to the TEK and practices of NE region. This review has meticulously detailed TEK and practices that can help in achieving various sustainable development targets of different SDGs in a more comprehensive and eco-friendly manner. Houde’s manifestation to differentiate each element of TEK and practices present in the NE region of the country, such as traditional farming and irrigation systems, sacred groves, and cultural belief systems of different tribes, have been systematically analyzed and documented for each of the eight states of this region. The benefits accrued modern practices related to NRM are correlated with TEK, or adaptive empirical knowledge system. Indigenous agricultural systems, watershed management, biodiversity conservation, and ethnomedicinal therapeutic systems in NE India formed a vital part of the review. However, rapid urbanization, industrialization, and deforestation warrant an urgent need to systematically collate, document, analyze, and conserve the TEK of the indigenous communities of NE India.

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Change history

  • 26 November 2021

    The original online version of this article was revised: The word ‘Scared Groves’ has been corrected as ‘Sacred Groves’ in the subsection title.

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Acknowledgements

Sudip Mitra would like to thank NER Twining program (BT/PR2541/NER/95/1185/2017), the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, for its generous research grant. The authors would also like to thank all the indigenous communities and individuals of North East (NE) India, who are undeterred by adversities, do their best to conserve the treasures of TEK.

Funding

Sudip Mitra would like to thank the Department of Biotechnology, Twinning, Government of India (BT/PR2541/NER/95/1185/2017) for its generous research grant.

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  1. Agro-ecotechnology Laboratory, School of Agro and Rural Technology, IIT Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India

    Ashmita Das, Nihal Gujre & Sudip Mitra

  2. The Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) at Imphal, Manipur, 795001, India

    Rajkumari Jobina Devi

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AD has contributed in carrying out investigation, data curation, and writing the original draft. NG has helped in writing, editing and improvising the manuscript through figures and illustrations. RJD took part in writing the manuscript. SM has contributed in conceptualization, fund acquisition, supervision, writing and editing of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Sudip Mitra.

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Das, A., Gujre, N., Devi, R.J. et al. A Review on Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Its Role in Natural Resources Management: North East India, a Cultural Paradise. Environmental Management 72, 113–134 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-021-01554-y

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