Dear All,
Good day!
I would like to provide the following info:
Traditional Knowledge based Solution to address water scarcity: Climate change is a defining moment of our time with major negative implications on ecology, human culture, livelihoods and food security. The IPCC advocates to search local solutions for climate change adaptations; however, its report does not recognize the breadth and strength of century tested traditional knowledge in combating climate change. Major water concerns are (1) Most critical resource for Indian agriculture; (2) The resource is shrinking; (3) Increased competition from other sectors; (4) Decline in water table; (5) Water-logging and salinity; (6) Increased pollution; (7) Environmental change to affect availability; and (8) Reduction in river flow. The emerging scenario from different parts of the globe suggests that neither the scientific technologies alone nor the traditional knowledge exclusively can completely solve the threats of food and nutritional security challenges emanating from climate change, however, a fusion of the two can. Traditional Knowledge can be defined as the collectively owned non-formal intellectual property comprised wisdom, knowledge and teaching developed by local and indigenous communities over time in response to the needs of their specific local environment and integral to the cultural or spiritual identity of the social group in which it operates, preserved and many-a-time orally transmitted for generations. Traditional water management practices include Stone Bunding, Stones-cum-Earthen Bunding, Stone-cum-Vegetative bunding, Brushwood Waste Weir, Grassed Waterways and Spur Structure. The planners and policy makers have yet another tool and dimension to initiate participatory action plan involving tribal farmers and their rich reserve of traditional knowledge in order to develop adoptable technology that will enable mitigation of water scarcity and problem of climate change for financial inclusion and mainstreaming of indigenous population. The study described in the paper conclusively proved that planners and policy makers have yet another tool and dimension to initiate participatory action plan involving tribal farmers and their rich reserve of traditional knowledge in order to develop adoptable technology that will enable mitigation of water scarcity amd problem of climate change for financial inclusion and mainstreaming of indigenous population. Moreover, region-specific amalgamated technological prescriptions refined with targeted policy analysis are required for effective implementation and obtaining positive outcomes within a finite time horizon.
Reference: Dey, P. and Sarkar, A.K. (2011). Revisiting indigenous farming knowledge of Jharkhand (India) for conservation of natural resources and combating climate change. Indian J. Traditional Knowledge 10(1): 71-79.
http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/sites/default/files/discussions/contributio…
With warm regards,
Pradip Dey
Dr. Pradip Dey