Lives of the Lakes: Indigenous Hydrological Resilience in Valsad District

The document highlights the intersection of indigenous knowledge and environmental resilience in Sarodhi village, Valsad district. It details how the landless Dubla tribe relies on 'van-vagdo' (wilds) and lake ecosystems for nutrition, medicine, and drought/flood resilience. Aranya Design Studio works with local students and educators to archive this traditional knowledge through zines and activity books, countering the effects of colonization, industrialization, and urbanization that threaten these lacustrine ecosystems.

• The Dubla people, specifically the Tadavia clan, possess extensive ecological knowledge of local flora for medicinal use, such as the aakhdo plant, which is used to treat leprosy, snake bites, tumors, intestinal worms, and skin diseases.
• Colonization and the plundering of teak forests led to the displacement of the Dubla tribe, resulting in a loss of land and identity and forcing the community into roles as agricultural and domestic laborers.
• Lakes in the villages near Vapi function as critical resilience systems against drought and flood by capturing monsoon rain and slowly releasing it into the soil, while providing wild food and medicinal plants.
• Rapid urbanization and industrialization in the region are degrading the lacustrine ecosystems through increased water extraction and the release of sewage into the lakes.
• Aranya Design Studio collaborates with government school students and educators to create archives, zines, and activity books that combine indigenous knowledge with scientific methods to study hydrology, soils, and plants.

APA

Global Resilience Partnership (2023). Lives of the Lakes: Indigenous Hydrological Resilience in Valsad District. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/lives-of-the-lakes-indigenous-hydrological-resilience-in-valsad-district/

Chicago

Global Resilience Partnership. Lives of the Lakes: Indigenous Hydrological Resilience in Valsad District. 2023. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/lives-of-the-lakes-indigenous-hydrological-resilience-in-valsad-district/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Resilience Partnership |title=Lives of the Lakes: Indigenous Hydrological Resilience in Valsad District |date=24 May 2023 |url=https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/lives-of-the-lakes-indigenous-hydrological-resilience-in-valsad-district/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalresiliencepartnership2023lives, author = {{Global Resilience Partnership}}, title = {{Lives of the Lakes: Indigenous Hydrological Resilience in Valsad District}}, institution = {Global Resilience Partnership}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/lives-of-the-lakes-indigenous-hydrological-resilience-in-valsad-district/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }