Diverse communities congregate yet again to discuss climate related action at the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP 27); this time with the reverberating slogan ‘together for implementation’while placing adaptation at the forefront of global action. The focus and impetus on adaptation and implementation is laudable, how do we operationalise the slogan in a context (in India and other global South geographies) marked by unfettered urbanisation inadequate urban planning and an escalating climate crisis?
The answer to this question can be found in the Eco-system-based Adaptation (EbA) approach. Recognised as a nature-based approach that can assist societies and eco-systems to adapt to climate change, EbA is argued to deliver on climate just outcomes. This is especially true for Indian cities where embedded knowledge, lived experience and historically evolved, tried, and tested natural resource management systems continue to thrive despite predatory urbanisation. Most Indian cities have expanded organically engulfing villages/ hamlets – the urban villages. These urban villages are often vast repositiories of embedded knowledge and lived experiences showcasing reliance on natural ecologies for water, food, work, and shelter while also stewarding land and attendant systems. Commendably, the Glasgow Climate Pact (2020) recognised such traditional knowledge systems as critical conduits to achieving enhanced resilience, reduced vulnerabilities, and increased implementation of adaptation actions. Equally laudable is the recognition of indigenous communities, groups, and ecosystems as agents of change and purveyors of climate adaptation solutions as against being positioned as mere victims of climate change. Such a discourse marks a welcome and positive in attitude which both foreground and value community-centric approaches, enhancing inclusion, decentralisation and resilience. Leveraging and actualising such approaches will be a crucial differentiator in the coming decades, specially relevant for urban futures of the Global South.
The Ranchi city-region has its genesis in loosely clustered tribal hamlets (many of which are now classified as slums in the formal planning and governance registers) embedded in and, integrated within the larger natural landscape. With rapid urbanisation, especially after the formation of Jharkhand, the city expanded and fragmented many of these hamles, disrupting the everyday living practices, remnants of which are still visible and adhered to. Conserving these practices as well as the attendant knowledge systems while critical to protecting the indigenous peoples, are also invaluable in bringing back the much needed EbA into cities in meeting the goals of inclusive and resilient cities.
Decentralised, collective and resilient
Even today, Ranchi’s tribal hamlets, evidence self-sufficiency facilitated through a decentralised mode of collective living and managing where communities rely on eco-system services while stewarding nature. For instance, land occupation in many of these hamlets responded to the topography of the land. While habitations were concentrated in the tanr area – the highlands – the adjoining productive lowlands – the dons- were used solely for a variety of agricultural activities that catered to the food requirements while constituting the main livelihoods. Water was sourced through community wells, talabs (ponds or tanks) Dadi’s and the river. Kitchen gardens or Baari’s provisioned the daily consumption of vegetables. These were nourished with grey water from the neighbouring households. Baaris were also used to nurture rice and maize saplings before transplantation.
For contemporary Ranchi, the knowledge of the Tanrs and the Dons and the attendant productivity of these lands is valuable in guiding the expansion of the built fabric. It can assist in protecting ecologically fragile landscapes, in this case, the flood plains of the Subarnarekha. Introducing such embedded traditional knowledge and the attendant lived experiences can potentially shift the lens from viewing land solely as an economic resource to embracing its anthropological-ecological value for the city and its residents.
Similarly, the present day slums are replete with community spaces – sarnasthal (places of worship), maidans (playgrounds), Akhras (congregation spaces), Dhumkuria Bhavan (youth dormitories/ education centers) and Masnasthals (burial grounds) – used as such. These anchor community living while serving as markers of cultural identity. The story on the governance front is equally encouraging. The hamlets were self-governed – through the parha (a cluster of villages) system – relying customary laws. While the office bearers in the system were assigned roles, the responsibility of discharging these responsibilities were with the entire village, thereby showcasing collective responsibility.
Emergent strategies for climate action
These value-based practices centered around ecological stewardship and community-centeredness can potentially front the EbA constituting ‘emergent strategies’ Foregrounding and integrating these tried and tested emergent strategies are critical to climate action. Deploying EbA strategies can, on one hand, potentially help to achieve the localisation of international and national goals (SDGs, Climate action) of inclusive and resilient cities. On the other, foregrounding and instituting the practices within city plans and policies has the potential to reduce vulnerabilities (and enhance adaptive capacities) triggered by the intersection of climate-change and urbanisation.
Ranchi city is by no means an isolated case. The ever expanding Indian city is engulfing its peripheries mindlessly contributing (directly and indirectly) to climate-change. The IPCC report points to 15 times as many people having lost lives in highly vulnerable landscapes of the developing and least developing world, due to extreme weather events. Foregrounding and integrating the ground-up emergent adaptation strategies is a sure way forward towards mitigation.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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