Restoring Rights and Resilience: Ādivāsī Communities, Traditional Knowledge, and Environmental Conservation in the Indian Sundarbans

Abstract

This article delves into the environmental history of ādivāsī communities, including the
Munda and Santal, who rely on the Indian Sundarbans for their livelihoods. Displaced
during colonial rule, these communities have since developed a symbiotic relationship
with the forest, acquiring extensive ecological knowledge critical for its preservation.
Despite their expertise, ādivāsī communities face severe challenges from recurrent
geophysical and human-made hazards. In addition, they also face significant socioeconomic
challenges. They are among the poorest and most vulnerable groups in India,
with limited access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Their
exclusion from forest areas, driven by conservation policies and development projects,
has further undermined their livelihoods. Their vulnerability is exacerbated by socioeconomic
marginalisation, exclusion from forest areas, and the impacts of development
projects like tourism and industrialisation.