Role of Cultural and Religious Drivers for Ecosystem Change

Abstract

Human societies are chiefly propelled by their unique culture and religious practices. An integral part of the Indian culture is working in unity with nature. This reflection is seen in a various sacred and religious beliefs, arts and crafts, folk tales, traditional practices, rituals, and in the day to day lives of the people of India from the ancient times. Nature Conservation is largely embedded in the ecosystem of Indian civilizations; which in turn is largely exhibited/displayed by their distinctive culture and religious practices. A strong credence that through thoughtful integration between communities and nature efficient ecosystem management is accomplished. Communities have always adapted themselves to better fit into the changing societal needs and thus reshaped their spatial setting. The human species, while safeguarded against environmental proximities through their unique culture and cultural practices, skill, and technology, are eventually wholly dependent on the flow of ecosystem services. The challenge faced by the present global environment is that certain traditional practices lead to downgrading of the ecosystem, while some of them play an appropriate role in advancing biodiversity and preserving the resources, thus serving societies to address the effects of climate change. India with a diverse culture of different communities satisfies the regulatory and functional aspects of nature and natural systems. This paper is intended to look into the religious and traditional aspects of Indian societies to comprehend the dynamism of cultural drivers for ecosystem change and gauge their interrelation with human behavior. The varied case studies have been reviewed by using the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment tool with an objective, that the environment can be protected by changing community behavior. These are examined by using arguments related to values, beliefs, and traditional customary laws associated with different communities across India. The analysis involves the finding of most influencing and commonly influencing factors of values among the communities by calculating and comparing mean and standard deviation for all kind of values associated with varied case study. The study reveals novel ways of integrating conventional, ecological and native wisdom into management processes of the ecosystem. The outcome of the study focuses on policy formulation through participative planning in the decision-making procedure for ecosystem management.