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Decentralization and the cultural politics of natural resource management in K erala, I ndia
Author(s) -
Nair Tamara
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
singapore journal of tropical geography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.538
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1467-9493
pISSN - 0129-7619
DOI - 10.1111/sjtg.12079
Subject(s) - decentralization , state (computer science) , natural resource , natural resource management , politics , wildlife , civil society , resource management (computing) , political science , democracy , ecology , law , biology , computer network , algorithm , computer science
The state of K erala in I ndia is known for its active civil society and the massive decentralization campaign launched in 1996. However marginalization of tribal communities hampers the state's decentralized environmental management strategies. The proposed construction of a dam along the C halakkudy R iver will displace two colonies of the K adar tribe in C halakkudy and A thirapilly towns, destroy habitats of local wildlife and devastate unique riverine vegetation endemic to the region. This brings to light issues of social and environmental justice as well as a wider responsibility to protect and preserve unique flora and fauna. The state's decentralization strategies, as they relate to tribal communities, lack consideration of local power distribution and cultural conditioning. This raises questions about the state's role in social justice as well as biodiversity conservation. In 2010 and 2011, the author's interviews in C halakkudy and A thirapilly towns reveal that tribal communities perceive that their place in society restricts their contribution regarding natural resource management and use. The paper suggests that unless the culture of planning and decision making in the state are changed, decentralized strategies will be ineffective, resulting in a predominately top‐down approach towards natural resource management, and will negate K erala's goal of democratic decentralization.