KOCHI: Climate change is no longer a myth. The incessant rains during monsoons have already altered life in many parts of India, and the rising temperature in summer has also led to increasing concerns. As both economic and human losses continue to mount, the time has come for India to rethink its conventional infrastructure, which is unable to adapt to the impact of climate change. Our indigenous communities have been facing these adaptation challenges and have developed resilient strategies. This local knowledge holds the key to turning around the global climate crisis.
All around the world, indigenous communities have ingenious ways of living with nature. While they protect biodiversity, they also generate an economy from it. They have been passed from generation to generation in response to site-specific challenges like the cultural setting, topography and climatic conditions.
There are many examples of indigenous systems around the world — and at home, we have the Kuttanadan Kayalnilam paddy farming system. This picturesque area has been growing rice two meters below sea level for centuries.
Here paddy farming works well with seasonal salt intrusion and flooding by intelligently shifting to fish farming and duck rearing for a few months a year. Instead of fighting salt and water, the rotation between agriculture and aquaculture sits well with the natural water cycle.
This is similar to the Dutch polder-dike landscape. But the Kayalnilams have harsher weather conditions and flooding. With more land coming under water due to rising sea levels, Kuttanad Kayalnilams will be an example of developing such areas.
Another less-known example is the Surangams or Thurangams, a traditional water harvesting structure in Kasaragod. The hilly terrain here cannot depend on water from rivers, hence horizontal wells or tunnels have been excavated in the hard laterite hill.
Groundwater flows through these tunnels and is collected in ponds near the houses. This water is used for agriculture, drinking and other domestic purposes. The Surangams are similar to the Qanat water harvesting systems in Iran and they are both life-saving technologies for farmers.
The Parambu or backyard garden is another solution that resembles modern-day agroforestry systems. They are present in every other traditional house and appear like a natural forest. These family-managed gardens self-regulate the quality of soil, unlike commercial farming practices. After each crop cycle, they let nature thrive without exerting control over it. The dead roots, leaves and trees become home for many organisms making it biodiverse.
Since the governance of Parambu reflects the typical family institutions and household structure of Kerala, this solution can be easily scaled to families residing in urban areas. Many parts of India are dealing with water scarcity and some alternate between periods of excess and shortage of water. This enduring water paradox is extremely detrimental to crop production, which in turn poses a challenge to food security.
To solve this, we need to turn to indigenous agricultural innovations. These are scientific solutions or ready-made formulae that have worked for years against floods, droughts, heatwaves and human-induced disasters like pollution.
The author is a climate adaptation designer currently working as landscape architect at witteveen+Bos