Sacred forests of India: a strong tradition of community-based natural resource management

Sacred forests represent an important long-held tradition of conserving specific land areas that have cultural, and often religious, significance. India, with its diversity of cultures and traditions, has over 100 000 sacred forests. Many of these groves are forest fragments in agricultural landscapes. In most cases, community members are at least aware of these fragments, if not actively involved in their protection and management. This review focuses on the Western Ghats in southern India and Meghalaya state in northeastern India, both international biodiversity hotspots. In addition to the cultural significance of sacred forests, a number of studies have suggested that they are important refuges for conservation of biological diversity, including medicinal plants, within highly anthropogenic landscapes. Whilst sacred groves have been successful conservation areas, current threats to these forests are numerous, ranging from pressures for use of timber and other forest products to clearing for agriculture or general changes in cultural traditions. A variety of arrangements exist for ownership and management of sacred forests, making it necessary to identify solutions on a case-by-case basis. Support for the continued practice of the tradition of sacred forest protection is needed in order to provide a culturally sensitive model for community-based natural resource management

A brief report on the associations amongst social media use, gender, and body esteem in a UK student sample

Research into the effects of social media on personal wellbeing have been controversial in recent years, with recent research highlighting links between social media use and body esteem. This conceptual replication study aimed to explore relationships amongst social media use, body esteem and gender amongst UK university students (n=100). Participants completed measures of social media use and body image esteem. It was hypothesised that social media intensity and usage would negatively predict body esteem, with high social media intensity relating to lower body esteem. We find that gender was the only significant predictor of body esteem, with women having lower body esteem compared to men. We were unable to replicate previous findings, as our findings show no relationships amongst social media intensity, use, and body esteem

Perceptions of Tourism at Sacred Groves in Ghana and India

Sacred groves are forested sites that have cultural or spiritual significance.  They exist around the world and represent a long-held tradition of community management of forests.  While most sacred sites are not tourist destinations, tourism may represent a method to provide additional protection for sacred sites, including revenue to help with management and conservation.  Tourism can celebrate the cultural aspects of the site, in the case of cultural heritage tourism, or ignore them as is often the case with mass tourism.This paper presents the results of research in two countries with numerous sacred groves:  Ghana and India.  Ethnographic research was conducted at five sacred forests that allow tourism, in 2006 at two sites in Ghana, and in 2009 at three sites in the state of Meghalaya, India. The research focused on community attitudes toward the sacred forest and tourism.  A qualitative, ethnographic research methodology was used, including semi-structured, open-ended interviews.  A total of 103 residents were interviewed, 59 in Ghana and 44 in India.  Three main research questions were explored:  How do residents near a sacred grove perceive current and potential future tourism to the grove?  How are residents and the sacred grove affected by tourism?  What do residents envision for the future of the sacred grove?  Case studies of each site are presented, as well as a comparison of the five sites.Research in Ghana and India revealed sites with a range of stages of tourism development and levels of revenue sharing.  Each site has a different history of local community and/or external support as well as approaches to manage tourists.  A number of factors contribute to pressures on the groves, including cultural changes and natural resource demands.  In some cases, economic incentives can link with traditional protection for successful natural resource conservation.  Tourism represents both a possible benefit to groves through recognition and valuing of the site that can lead to funding and conservation support, but also a threat to sacred sites due to the negative consequences of possible over-use, such as solid waste disposal and ecological impacts.  Support for traditional rituals, community resource management, and education programs associated with the groves is recommended.  Culturally sensitive tourism guidelines and tourism profit sharing plans, developed with the input of sacred grove stakeholders and custodians, are needed.  Visitor carrying capacity should be considered, as well as the possible implications of designating sacred groves as World Heritage Sites

Can world heritage status help protect sacred natural sites in Asia?

The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention) was agreed in 1972 and entered into force in 1976. The Convention is administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with decision making undertaken by its governing body, the World Heritage Committee. To be inscribed as a World Heritage site (WHS), properties must meet at least one cultural and/or natural criterion and have outstanding universal value (UNESCO, 2015a). Operational guidelines exist to support implementation of the Convention, and advice is provided by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (UNESCO, 2013). ... In this chapter, three World Heritage sites in Asia are analysed: Sagarmatha National Park (Nepal), Angkor Wat (Cambodia) and the Western Ghats (India)

The role of religion in linking conservation and development: Challenges and opportunities

The world’s religions have made a contribution to environmental conservation and sustainable development through faith-based non-governmental organizations. Partnerships between secular conservation and development organizations and faith-based groups, however, are not always easy. Such partnerships face various challenges, including differences in worldviews, conflict between identities, and the attitudes and behavior of religious groups that may not be favorable to conservation and development. Despite a possible overlap of values, these incompatibilities can often cause tensions between secular organizations and religious groups. A number of examples, however, suggest that faith-based groups are starting to address these incompatibilities. We suggest that partnerships with faith groups might be valuable because these groups can enhance public support for conservation and development. While secular organizations need to work with faith groups on the basis of shared ethical or moral values, identifying effective ways to strengthen the linkages between secular organizations and faith groups is also necessary

Spiritual values and ecosystem services of sacred groves in Karnataka, India

Sacred groves are community-conserved forests that are protected for cultural reasons. Many also serve a biological conservation value because they harbour a high diversity of species and provide ecosystem services such as watershed values, carbon sequestration, pollination, and seed banks. India has an estimated 100,000 sacred groves. Research conducted in South India found that residents near sacred groves recognized and valued the ecosystem services provided by the groves, in addition to the spiritual values for which the groves are primarily conserved. Although currently many groves are not legally recognized as protected areas, in the future, it is important that the groves continue to be supported for their intangible cultural and spiritual values. In addition, the role that community grove managers play in forest conservation should be recognized and affirmed. While some larger sacred groves may be targeted to be part of a payment for ecosystem services programme, it is advised that these economic arrangements are entered with caution to avoid disrupting the cultural and spiritual values, and local management, of the groves

How Might World Heritage Status Support the Protection of Sacred Natural Sites? : An Analysis of Nomination Files, Management, and Governance Contexts

This study provides an overview of how sacred natural sites are given recognition within the World Heritage system. It offers an analysis of the extent to which sacred natural sites that are part of nine World Heritage sites are recognised in site nomination files, management plans, and governance of these sites. The World Heritage sites are located across all continents except for Antarctica. We analysed sites in Australia, Greece, Guatemala, India, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand and the Russian Federation. We found that the cultural and spiritual significance of sacred natural sites is under-recognised, especially in natural World Heritage sites. In addition, Indigenous and religious custodians are frequently excluded from site management and governance. We make four recommendations for improving the recognition of sacred natural sites and the involvement of their custodians in the World Heritage process and in site nomination, governance, and management: (1) identification and recognition of sacred natural sites including their associated cultural and spiritual values; (2) recognition of, and articulated roles for custodians of sacred natural sites in the governance and management of World Heritage sites; (3) increased uptake of religious groups and Indigenous Peoples’ conservation approaches to the joint management of World Heritage sites that contain sacred natural sites, and (4) prevention of exclusion of custodians and ecological migration by applying inclusive conservation practices through rights-based approache