On World Soil Day, Rajasthan’s Traditional Water Systems Offer Climate Change Lessons

In the desert landscape of western Rajasthan, how communities use water has long depended on an intimate understanding of soil. Water management systems such as khadeens, bavdi, beris, tankas, johads, naadi, naada and talab were built on a deep, practical knowledge of how soils behave in extreme aridity in the region characterised by low rainfall. […]

A Community for Clams

“Poo-hoy!”—the clam collectors call out to one another at dawn, their voices carrying across the still waters of Vembanad Lake. For these hard-working folks, the day begins as early as 4 in the morning.

Mending Manas

It was an early May night in 2008. As Bohag gave way to Jyestho, the Brahmaputra valley was caught in a feverish state when spring had not bidden farewell properly.

Conservation as Coexistence

The villages of Khoingoi and Artan in Meghalaya stand as a quiet rebuke to the idea that people and wildlife cannot coexist.