Remedy

Spurred by increasing instability in the climate systems and the global water cycle and the related increase of natural disasters, Active Remedy Ltd. has formulated an innovative method that can be applied and adapted to facilitate ecological restoration, preservation and adaptation efforts around world. This method is called The Sacred Groves and Green Corridors (SGGC) method.

The SGGC method has been formulated in conjunction with traditional indigenous mountain people over many years. It offers a diversity of approaches that understand, respect and are adaptable to local ecosystems, values, spiritual customs and taboos. It is a horticultural method of working directly with mountain communities that integrates modern and traditional knowledge conservation methods, along with long-term sustainability concepts. It does this through combining the conservation methods of sacred groves, green-corridors/ greenbelts, permaculture and companion planting.

On the 30th of March 2016 the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) wrote to us inviting us to contribute towards a worldwide database on the use of Local, Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge and Practices for Climate Adaptation. In response to this request, we submitted this Report outlining the SGGC Method.

Sustainable development implies a way of living and developing that is in accord with nature. Humanity, along with all other species, has the natural instinct to aid the continuation of our species. However many of our present unsustainable practices contradict this because they threaten the life support systems and livelihoods of both present and future generations. Now there is an urgent need for humanity to cease unsustainable practices and continues only with development that is long-term environmentally sustainable. Safeguarding and protecting the global water cycle so that an adequate quantity of fresh water is produced to support life on Earth is crucial towards achieving these aims.

In the meantime water quantity has decreased and millions of people suffer and die from the problems, which occur in extreme water scarcity conditions. Also many species suffer and become extinct. Water privatisation schemes cannot secure or increase the quantity of freshwater globally and so condemn the majority of life on Earth to extinction. These schemes are unsustainable and are not acceptable as they undermine the possibility of all true sustainable development.

However almost two years later essential water resourcing environments such as rain forests are still being rapidly degraded rather than protected. Also governments in favour of the privatisation of all freshwater supplies are forwarding the human right to water as universal access to water for all by 2030.

This can be seen in the lack of connection between the discussed goal for universal access to water for all by 2030 and statistics like these ones given by the FAO:

It is not enough to simply plant trees, the biodiversity needs to be long-term sustainable. Therefore, in these conditions, man-made technological innovation is not enough. For this task it is necessary to work with the tried and tested strengths of nature. Nature has evolved and adapted in intricate ways to deal with extreme conditions. These strengths can be worked with by humanity to achieve positive and successful results. It is still conceivably possible to create an interconnected network of biodiversity throughout mountain regions. Green corridors linking community managed protected groves would be an ideal way of doing this. However because of the harsh conditions and urgency of the situation, it is necessary to work with the co-supporting properties of plant combinations that naturally exist within biodiversity.

He observed that plants naturally group themselves in mutually beneficial communities and he used this idea to develop a different approach to agriculture and community design. It is based on the interdependent way that nature functions with the different plant and wildlife species regulating and supporting one another. Ideas for companion planting comes from similar observances.

It also refers to permanent culture, which recognizes the profound relationship between humanity and the environment and an understanding of the supportive dynamics of varied ecosystems. It is an integrated design philosophy that encompasses gardening, architecture, horticulture, ecology, even money management and community design. The basic approach is to create sustainable systems that provide for their own needs and recycle their waste.

Although the term ‘Permaculture’ is relatively recent, it draws upon thousands of years of traditional knowledge and human observance of the most beneficial natural dynamics and combinations that provide long-term environmental sustainability. It is a way of forest gardening and living in accord with nature and natural abundance, rather than being at odds, depleting and wasting nature’s vast store. This knowledge can be applied for protecting and restoring ecosystems and serving the needs of humanity without degrading natural environments. It is a way for humanity to work and live in harmony with Nature, which respects the rights of fellow humans along with the other species that one shares this vast Earth with.

Our proposed method takes into account long-term environmental sustainability, human rights, economies and the reduction of poverty and embraces the essence and principles of Sustainable Development as agreed upon by world governments in Agenda 21 in 1992.

They demonstrate a fast and effective way of conserving, spreading and linking biodiversity over large areas of land while focusing on relatively small areas. They facilitate free movement of plants and animals, preserve species and prevent the fragmentation of habitats and ecosystems.

Because mountain ecosystems are immensely crucial within the global water cycle, the environmental degradation in these regions has global impacts and critically needs to be halted and reversed. A fast, efficient mountain biodiversity restoration, preservation strategy is urgently required. Green corridors/greenbelts could play a key part in this. However, green corridors/greenbelts would be much more effective and in harmony with the needs and traditions of mountain communities, when in combination with a few other conservation models. Therefore creating them as connecting corridors of biodiversity, that interlink a network of community managed sacred groves and peace parks, would be a much more effective and long-term sustainable approach. Therefore creating them as connecting corridors of biodiversity, that interlink a network of community managed sacred groves and peace parks, would be a much more effective and long-term sustainable approach.

These communities benefit from plants, which preserve water and soil vitality and also those that provide medicines, fodder, food and fibre. Thus including plants, which provide these, can support the needs of mountain communities whilst at the same time conserving and spreading biodiversity. When managed cohesively so that the biodiversity is preserved, whilst at the same time sustainably harvested, these corridors can enrich local resources, bring more immediate employment, support cottage industry and help to secure community support. The concept of green corridors and green belts is not new. In Britain it was demonstrated through the hedge system that covered the British countryside for hundreds of years.

The green corridor/ green belt concept is also presently being recognised and implemented as ‘Connectivity Conservation’.

The ‘Sacred Grove and Green Corridor’ Method that we have formulated is a combination of these various inspiring examples of linking biodiversity.

This deep connection between protecting biodiversity and protecting the ancient rituals and traditions has meant that there are still many beautiful examples of both of these in the present day. However in recent times this strong bond has become weaker and many rich traditions as well as vital ecosystems are rapidly being lost. Traditional knowledge of biodiversity is a source of great wealth of information. It provides a practical understanding of how long-term sustainable environmental conservation is possible. This knowledge has been tried and tested over the centuries and has helped to conserve the livelihoods of many civilisations and their surrounding ecosystems. Throughout India, designating areas of forest as Sacred Groves/Forest Temples has been the predominant traditional method of environmental conservation.

In comparison to Western scientific conservation models, which advocate the creation of national parks and sanctuaries, the conservation of biodiversity in people-declared-managed sacred groves and peace parks has more chances of being adopted throughout mountain regions of the world. This may be due to the fact that they would be more intimately connected to the social life of the communities. Peace parks are a way of joining fragmented wildlife habitats by forming interconnected mosaics of protected areas and cross-border wildlife corridors, which allow for the free movement of animals and plant species. They offer conservation as a viable land-use option for the benefit of the local people

The creation of numerous interconnected small sacred groves and/or ‘peace parks’ along with the preservation and restoration of existing ones could be a surprisingly effective way for protecting, conserving and increasing biodiversity. These could be connected by green corridors/ green belts. In mountain regions this would be particularly important in regulating the global water cycle, thus having far reaching impacts throughout the whole world for both present and future generations.

There are two highly successful, community based, practices for preserving areas of biodiversity, which are well suited for this. These are the ancient tradition of sacred groves and the more recent practice of establishing peace parks. The two practices have different emphasis yet combined they posses all the required elements that can be easily adopted by mountain communities and diverse communities around the world. For many thousands of years throughout India and the world, people have respected the importance of nature and biodiversity and have protected particular areas as sacred living temples, sacred groves or as places of exquisite beauty where they found solace, peace and a place for the reviving of their spirits and health.

Sacred groves are ideal for the purpose because they have proven to be invaluable in environmental conservation around the world since antiquity. They are areas of biodiversity conserved by the local people and are often the remnants of the primary forests. The tradition is intertwined with the cultural and religious practices of rural communities.

However there are still many thousands existing throughout India and the Himalayan regions, where the tradition still thrives. This is of great significance considering the global importance of Himalayan ecosystems.

Our ancestors were fully aware that the natural resources that sustained them must be conserved for the sustenance of future generations. The combination of the trees and the various medicinal plants found in sacred groves, impacts greatly upon the surrounding areas. They have been shown to improve soil stability, prevent topsoil erosion and provide irrigation for agriculture in dry, arid climates; as well as providing healing sanctuaries and medicines. Many groves contain water resources such as lakes, ponds and streams, and the vegetative mass that retains water and releases it during times of drought.

These groves enhance local environmental and cultural wealth and are also ideal for practical environmental educational activities. They are similar to temples but with the main emphasis being on the biodiversity in the grove and not on a building. However these forest groves do not necessarily need to be of a specific religious designation. In some areas, community ‘Peace Parks’ may be more relevant. Sacred groves and Peace parks can work very well together. Depending on the temperaments and needs of the local communities, one may be more suitable than the other in any given area. Due to the fact that peace parks and sacred groves are complimentary they can be linked together as part of an interconnected biodiversity conservation network.

These parks and groves can bring people closer to nature, give a sense of community and belonging and protect biodiversity. Peace parks have a great potential in this respect because they were initially created as a method for easing tensions between bordering States. By establishing the recognition of mutual dependence upon shared biosphere systems, peace parks are a way of achieving peaceful relations between countries through environmental conservation.

Utilising the practices of sacred groves and peace parks could be significantly important for designing strategies for rehabilitating many, otherwise unmanageable, degraded landscapes. The fact that these two traditions are globally recognised gives them the potential to fit with many different cultures, landscapes and situations. They could provide a way to encourage the participation of local people and link diverse communities across the world.

This method has been formulated considering the integration of modern and traditional conservation methods. We have integrated the conservation methods of Sacred Groves, Green Corridors, Permaculture, companion planting and cottage industry scale cultivation of medicinal plants. This combination has the potential to cover the diverse requirements for the difficult global task of rapidly restoring and protecting these crucial ecosystems throughout mountains worldwide. The overall objective is to rebalance and secure the global water cycle. However the on the ground aim is to facilitate biodiversity to spread throughout mountain regions quickly and in such a way as can be long-term sustainable.

Essentially it is about working with the strengths of natural biodiversity in creating all the necessary conditions. It involves management techniques, which supports the relevant biodiversity to revive harsh environments, establish balance and positively effect water and climate. Therefore it could also be considered to be a Permaculture design for the regeneration and preservation of watersheds and indigenous mixed mountain forests globally. Within it we have integrated the method of establishing green corridors/ belts because these have proved to be a successful way of spreading biodiversity across huge distances, whilst needing less resources and management than many environmental restoration methods. This is because although the focus area is a relatively narrow, long strip of land, it facilitates biodiversity to spread over a large area beyond the corridors.

Within the green corridors, the plants grown would be those with important ecological properties as well as those that provide for the specific needs of the local communities (e.g. food, medicines, fuel, fodder, phytoremediation etc.).It is important to recognize that the collaboration with mountain communities is essential for the effectiveness of any environmental mountain restoration endeavor of this magnitude. In order to fit this method with the needs and traditions of mountain communities, we have integrated Sacred Groves. This is an ancient conservation tradition that has proved to be very effective and one, which is still valued in many mountain regions worldwide.

Sacred Groves have great potential to unite remote communities and restore and preserve large quantities of biodiversity when linked by a network of green corridors over mountain regions. Our proposed method addresses water security, food security, equity and the essence and principles of Sustainable Development as agreed upon by world governments in Agenda 21 in 1992.

However if mountain communities are supported, they can provide the very important service of regenerating, safeguarding and preserving the natural ecologies. This was agreed by world governments in Johannesburg in 2002:

It has always been in the interest of these communities to protect the natural resources, which supported their livelihoods. However they play a key role in preserving the global water cycle because they are one of the few groups of people who are actually capable of living and working in mountain regions with their extreme climatic and environmental conditions. Now that mountain resources have been so extremely depleted, the daily necessities of the local rural communities further exacerbates the problem. Therefore the well-being these communities need to be carefully considered.

It is only by involving and supporting them that an endeavour of this magnitude can be successfully achieved and prove to be long-term sustainable. There are many examples of conservation attempts that have not sufficiently included the local people and which have therefore not been sustainable, or achieved the intended goals. It is important to learn from these and to not make the same mistakes, when working on something as crucial as safeguarding the global water cycle.

It is a means by which, all lowland communities can safeguard their own long-term interests. The health of the global water cycle affects everyone and all ecosystems. If it is to be secured we need to work together. They need our help and we need theirs. There is not much time.

We all need the long-term sustainability of the global water cycle. It is not a luxury. Our lives and the long-term continuum of life on Earth are utterly dependent upon this cycle. It is imperative that the global community unites to address and resolve this common threat, this common worldwide water crisis. Although around the world there are presently many environmental, social and economic problems, freshwater underpins all of these. Our solving them is dependent upon us solving the problems affecting the global water cycle. Otherwise we will see short-term advantages for a few and long-term crisis, affecting virtually all humanity and most of life on Earth. Therefore safeguarding the global water cycle needs to become the top global priority. The process for achieving this will require that the ecosystems, which are necessary for maintaining and regulating this cycle, are protected, restored and preserved.

Unfortunately these mixed mountain forests have been depleted on a momentous scale globally and monoculture does not provide the mixed variety of plants needed for high altitude precipitation.Particular emphasis needs to be given to the importance of the diversity of these ecosystems. It is the mountain forests with mixed biodiversity that provides the various elements that are so fundamental for regulating the regenerative and renewable functions of the global water cycle. It is also important to note that restoring and preserving these ecosystems will have a dual benefit, as it will also impact upon climate worldwide. Mountains ecosystems are key elements in global climate regulation.

Therefore we have created a sustainable model for restoring and maintaining mixed mountain forests, which can be replicated worldwide in order to safeguard the global water cycle and help to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. We have termed this model ‘The Green Groves and Green Corridors Method’. The model entails creating and maintaining an interlinking network of community managed green groves and green corridors that facilitates the fast spread of biodiversity throughout mountain regions.This model has been formulated considering the integration of modern and traditional conservation methods along with long-term sustainability concepts.

It combines the conservation methods of sacred groves, spring sanctuaries, green-corridors, green-belts permaculture and companion planting. Recognising the crucial role of mountain communities, this will be a way by which these communities are supported, empowered and funded. It will also be a way of linking remote mountain villages together in an interconnected common project. The plants grown in the green corridors would be those with important ecological properties as well as those that provide for the specific needs of the local communities (e.g. food, medicines, fuel, fodder, biomass, phytoremediation etc.).

It is imperative that the global community unites to address and resolve this common threat, this common worldwide water crisis. Although around the world there are presently many environmental, social and economic problems, freshwater underpins all of these. Our solving them is dependent upon us solving the problems affecting the global water cycle. Otherwise we will see short-term advantages for a few and long-term crisis, affecting virtually all humanity and most of life on Earth. There is still time to apply the needed solutions if we act without delay.