A Review on Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Its Role in Natural Resources Management: North East India, a Cultural Paradise

Sustainable management of natural resources plays a critical role in poverty alleviation and overall socio-economic development. North East (NE) India is blessed as a biodiversity hotspot, being also home to around 150 ethnic tribes with diverse ethical, cultural and traditional beliefs, endorsing the region as a cultural paradise rich in natural resources and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). Conversely, the severely constrained nature of TEK, has juxtaposed TEK practices and sustainable natural resources management (NRM) in this review. Deliberating on the broader perspectives of TEK and ensuing practices, we have identified twelve sustainable development goals (SDGs) which are directly correlated to the TEK and practices of NE region. This review has meticulously detailed TEK and practices that can help in achieving various sustainable development targets of different SDGs in a more comprehensive and eco-friendly manner. Houde's manifestation to differentiate each element of TEK and practices present in the NE region of the country, such as traditional farming and irrigation systems, sacred groves, and cultural belief systems of different tribes, have been systematically analyzed and documented for each of the eight states of this region. The benefits accrued modern practices related to NRM are correlated with TEK, or adaptive empirical knowledge system. Indigenous agricultural systems, watershed management, biodiversity conservation, and ethnomedicinal therapeutic systems in NE India formed a vital part of the review. However, rapid urbanization, industrialization, and deforestation warrant an urgent need to systematically collate, document, analyze, and conserve the TEK of the indigenous communities of NE India.