Abstract
Sacred groves are relict forests dedicated to local deities that have been informally protected and managed by local communities over centuries. To gain greater insights into underlying sociocultural reasons for protection, and possibilities of strengthening such efforts, a study has been undertaken in 66 sacred groves in the Maharashtra State of Western Ghats biodiversity hot-spot in India, which shows different facets of human-nature relationships. Primary data on size, ownership, deity, religious aspects and awareness amongst the local people was collected through site visits, semi-structured interviews, and by participating in village meetings. It was observed that village councils owned 48% of the groves as against temple trusts (41%) and forest department plus individually owned groves (11%). Nearly 52% of the groves have an area less than one-half hectare. Forty-seven percent of the groves have male deities, 29% female deities and 26% were dedicated to spirits. Eighty percent of the local people were aware of cultural and religious aspects associated with the groves, whereas awareness about ecological and utilitarian values declined steeply to less than 20% of the population, necessitating the explanation of scientific conservation values of these critical ecosystems to the local people. The paper also discusses the significance of such studies in connection with the relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals and AICHI Biodiversity targets. In addition, it also discusses links with national biodiversity targets and how legal provisions under India’s Biological Diversity Act (2002) can be used to benefit both the ecosystem and the cultural values of the people, and how such informal institutions can be strengthened under formal protection mechanisms.
Highlights
The significance of sustainable development for the continued well-being of humans and ecosystems has been highlighted by many scholars
To achieve sustainable development for all, seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all member states of the United Nations in 2015.1 Human and ecosystem well-being calls for protection, restoration, and implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests and ecosystems that provide important services related to food, health, and livelihood
Sacred groves are relict forest patches that are dedicated to local deities (Gadgil and Vartak 1981) and are home to wildlife outside the formally protected areas
Summary
The significance of sustainable development for the continued well-being of humans and ecosystems has been highlighted by many scholars. The strategic goals of the AICHI Biodiversity Targets identified the enhancement of benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services.2 Such enhancement requires active and effective use of traditional knowledge and the practices of indigenous and local communities relevant for conservation, and sustainable use of biodiversity. They are known to act as wildlife corridors, especially when found in continuum with the forest cover They are informally protected and managed by local communities through customary laws and belief systems (Gadgil and Vartak 1975). Studies pertaining to exploration of such human-nature relationships provide insights into various facets ensuring sustainable human development which is natural-resource dependent have attained high significance In this vein, pioneering and comprehensive documentation of sacred groves has been provided by Gadgil and Vartak (1975, 1976, 1981)
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