Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Mountain People : Foundation for Sustainable Development in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region
Contents: Editorial. 1. Traditional knowledge systems of mountain communities: issues in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region/Nani Ram Subeti. 2. Dairy farming in a Himalayan agro-ecosystem setting: Farmers' articulation of traditional knowledge in livestock-based livelihoods in Uttarakhand, India/Vir Singh and Babita Bohra. 3. Indigenous knowledge for sustainable mountain development: some examples from the Himalayan Region/Manish Kumar and Chitra Pathak. 4. Areca catechu and Piper betel in traditional agroforestry of rural Bangladesh: Farmers' indigenous knowledge and divergence/Tapan K. Nath, M. Inoue, F.E. Pradhan and M.A. Kabir. 5. Farmers' management of natural resources for livelihoods in the mountains: valuing traditional knowledge and strategies in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region/Vir Singh and Neelendra K. Joshi. 6. Traditional Knowledge Systems (TKS) of Water resource management in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region: a review of India, Nepal and Bangladesh/Subodh Sharma and Otto Moog. 7. Organic farming: an indigenous technology for the Hindu Kush-Himalayan agriculture/Pinki Bhandari. 8. Common for the mountains, rare for the world: neglected crops offer food and nutrition security for the future/Silvi Siddhu. 9. Natural dyes for colorful garments and healthy environment: status in Uttarakhand/Manisha Gahlot, Nargis Fatima and Neema Papnai. 10. Traditional knowledge system of Himalayan dyeing techniques: cultivation of dye-yielding plants as a contribution to eco-development/Saurabh. 11. Unconventional fibres: processing and economic importance/Manisha Gahlot, Neema Papnai and Nargis Fatima. 12. Preserving indigenous belief system of Dev Bhumi Uttarakhand: a great tradition of fairs and festivals/Shachi Shah and Mrinalini Shah. 13. Traditional knowledge system in sustainable eco-development: an Uttarakhand perspective/Deepak Pant, Anoop Singh and Piyush Malaviya. 14. Indigenous knowledge systems: concept, problems and rationales for studying IKS of mountain regions/O.P. Mishra. 15. Traditional management of range resources: Mountain farmers' ecological tactics in the HKH Region/Vir Singh and R.D. Gaur. Index.
"The Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) Mountains in South Asia constitute one of the most robust ecosystems on planet Earth. Many of the environmental crises, the planet Earth is in the grip of, are attributable to the very state of 'ecological coup' the HKH Region appears to be at the verge of. The traditional ecological knowledge has been potent source of the marginal mountain communities to derive inspiration from and articulate into the processes of sustainable mountain development. The traditional ecological knowledge of the people in the HKH Region is rooted into ecosystem realities, is enveloped in an eco-philosophy, holds reverential attitude towards nature and nature's components, and embraces a world view of its own. Evolved by local people over millennia through trial and error, the traditional knowledge is dynamic, compassionate, caring, transcendental and futuristic, and evolves continuously and unceasingly in tune with time and space.
This volume is an effort to look into the pristine and also somewhat forgotten traditional knowledge systems in the fragile mountains of the HKH Region. Written by many eminent mountain scholars from many countries, the various chapters in the volume would surely contribute to recognize, enrich and articulate the traditional ecological knowledge and further help to restore and promote the systems based on this knowledge." (jacket)
