Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) With Environmental Education in India

Introduction

With extreme heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and rising sea levels, the issue of sustainable development and environment conservation doesn’t need an introduction. United Nations Development Programme with the member nations is constantly working on the sustainable development goals to achieve the goals. Without undermining the efforts of the national governments around the world that are looking for scientific solutions in order to achieve a balance in the environment protection and economic growth, the chapter stress upon the importance of indigenous tricks and skills to co-habit with the environment. Beyond а romanticized preservation of indigenous identities, this system offers philosophical anchor for harmonious socio-environmental balance through guiding natural resources as custodians. The traditional knowledge of India preserves а rich yet threatened heritage of communities that is reflected in diverse Traditional Ecological Knowledge (“TEK”) systems. This system evolved over generations of communities ranging from Eastern Himalayas to the Аndаmаn Islands and provides ways to sustainably manage surrounding flora, fauna, and natural resources. TEK fosters an inherent consciousness towards environmental sensitivity and is expressed through practices like sacred grove conservation, prudent hunting norms and rainfall predictions for agriculture (Singleton et al, 2021). Academics, agency scientists, and policymakers are increasingly looking towards TEK as a possible source of inspiration for new models of ecological restoration, conservation biology, and ecosystem management (Kimmerer, 2002). However, in modern India, livelihood transition induced dislocations, have endangered the inter-generational passage within native rural communities. Reintegrating this fast-eroding traditional knowledge with contemporary sustainable education provides transformative scope for environmental awareness across the world.

This chapter discusses strategies for mainstreaming this knowledge of the land and wildlife reflected in Indian TEK with school curriculum frameworks, policy guidelines and decentralized digitization. Understanding that the key lies in transitioning the perspective on ecological heritage from being ‘relics’ for selective community revival to being pivotal knowledge partners for ethical environment-centric education model, the chapter stress on need to work on foundation by integrating the TEK in environment education system. Thereby, Authors argues that India needs to leverage its still surviving but threatened wealth of traditional knowledge while also re-instilling care, reverence and balance in the generations choosing to inhabit shared environment (Kimmerer, 2002). The chapter further discusses various examples of TEK System promoting intelligent utilization of resources, which if integrated in education system will help to align with natural regeneration cycle.

In the words of marine ecologist Fikret Berkes, TEK refers to the cumulative body of knowledge, beliefs, traditions, practices, and institutions that guide human communities towards sustainable management of surrounding flora, fauna, and natural resources through generations (Berkes 2018). It encloses the interdependent social, economic, spiritual, ecological, and philosophical worldviews, intrinsic to the cultural heritage of indigenous groups and rural communities. TEK reflects а cooperative human nature which is balanced by embedding conscious conservation ethic. The continuance of TEK systems relies heavily on intergenerational sharing of region-specific knowledge evolved through generations of stability in that specific area (Cajete 2020).

TEK largely can be exhibited through two broad classifications, viz documented TEK and oral/abstract TEK. Documented TEK refers to codified ecological knowledge of biodiversity, plant variety, agricultural practices, forest charts, climate models etc., preserved by specialist knowledge holders within a community. The oral or abstract TEK includes the unwritten traditional wisdom passed on through generations via folklore, tаbооs, rituals, ceremonies, livelihood practices and customary laws. However, this nuanced and regional nature makes it vulnerable to dilution and extinction (Whyte 2013).