Indigenous ecosystem restoration practices in India

The session focuses on bringing to light various ecosystem restoration practices that are culturally relevant to Asian context, with particular referenece India and particular the Southern state of Kerala. The roundtable discussion involves  participants with research experience in associated areas of sacred groves,forestry, traditional knowledge systems and practices, and culture. The sessions aims to highlight the culturally ingrained practices which are environment friendly and needs to be protected for the purpose of sustainable living. One of the questions the session tries to address is the erosion of the said practices due to lack of inter-generational communication and how fostering knowledge transfer between generations can help in sustaining indigenous ecosytem restoration practices whether it be of the step well restoration, sacred groves, medicinal gardens, practices like star forest, the concept of consumption of 10 sacred medicinal leaves, plantation of trees to mark the child birth, restoration of rivers, attribution of individual status to rivers, worship of natural entities, existing taboos on defiling places of ecological significance like rivers, wells and so on.