Title: Traditional biodiversity conservation and natural resource management system of some tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Authors: Pradeep Chaudhry; Mihin Dollo; Kenjum Bagra; Bamin Yakang

Addresses: State Forest Research Institute, Chimpu, Itanagar 791111, Arunachal Pradesh, India. ' G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Itanagar Unit, Vivek Vihar, Arunachal Pradesh, India. ' State Forest Research Institute, Chimpu, Itanagar 791111, Arunachal Pradesh, India. ' State Forest Research Institute, Chimpu, Itanagar 791111, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract: India is one of the 17 mega biodiversity countries in the world having two hotspots- the Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalayas, based on species rarity and endemism. Arunachal Pradesh state of India in the Eastern Himalaya is among 200 globally important eco-regions. The state is home to 26 major tribes and about 110 ethnic groups. The majority of the mountainous population of Arunachal Pradesh depends upon agricultural and forest resources for their livelihood, which these communities sustain with their rich and varied traditional ecological knowledge. The issue of recognising and acknowledging the importance of traditional knowledge, creativity and innovativeness of the grassroot level people in biodiversity conservation has been debated for a long time. Some unique ways of utilising traditional knowledge in biodiversity conservation by the local tribes have been discussed in the article.

Keywords: Eastern Himalaya; bicultural diversity; local tribes; environmental use; sustainable development; sustainability; genetic resources; traditional village councils; India; biodiversity conservation; natural resource management; agriculture; forest resources; ecological knowledge.

DOI: 10.1504/IER.2011.043342

Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, 2011 Vol.12 No.4, pp.338 - 348

Published online: 23 Sep 2014 *

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