Kuttanad is a delta region of about 900 sq. km situated in the west coast of Kerala State, India. The area is a larger mosaic of fragmented landscape patches and varied ecosystems such as coastal backwaters, rivers, vast stretches of paddy fields, marshes, ponds, garden lands, edges, corridors and   remarkably networked water ways. 

The Kuttanad Below Sea-level Farming System (KBSFS) is unique, as it is the only system in India that practices rice cultvation below sea level. The major land use structure of KBSFS is flat stretches of rice fields in about 50,000 ha of mostly reclaimed delta swamps. The rice fields, which are popularly known as "Puncha Vayals" exist in three landscape elements:  Karapadam (upland rice fields), Kayal (wetland rice fields) and Kari (land buried with black coal like materials). 

Farmers of Kuttanad have developed and mastered the spectacular technique of below sea level cultivation over 150 year ago. They made this system unique as it contributes remarkably well to the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services including several livelihood services for local communities.