Indian culture and traditions have always integrated living in harmony with nature. Our Mahaupanishad has famous phrase ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’ i.e., entire earth is one family. Hence, sustainable living has always been an integral part of our culture.
Preservation of biodiversity: We need to preserve diversity. Forests are hot spots of diversity. We measure diversity in terms of the number of species and the range of different life forms. We must preserve the biodiversity that we have inherited from previous generations. Loss of diversity leads to loss of ecological stability.
Forests and Wildlife
Stakeholders to the forests are:
Sustainable Practices:
People living in forest areas need large quantities of firewood, small timber and bamboo. Implements for agriculture, fishing and hunting are largely made of wood. People also gather fruits, nuts and medicines from the forests. Their cattle also graze in forest areas. Before the Britishers came, people had been living in those areas for centuries and had developed practices that ensured that the resources were available in a sustainable manner.
Mindless Exploitation of Resources:
Britishers exploited the forests ruthlessly. Forest people were forced to live in smaller areas making life difficult for them. Even after the Forest Department in independent India took over from the British, local knowledge and local needs were ignored. Vast tracts of forests were planted with pine, teak or eucalyptus trees. Huge areas were cleared of vegetation. This destroyed a great amount of biodiversity in the area. This was done to earn revenue for the forest department and to provide inputs to the timber, paper, lac and sports industries at the cost of people living there.
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1. Why is it important to manage our resources? |
2. How does sustainable management of natural resources benefit forests and wildlife? |
3. What are the consequences of not managing our resources effectively? |
4. How can individuals contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources? |
5. What are some examples of sustainable management practices for forests and wildlife? |
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