Guardians of the Forest: Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and Climate Adaptation Strategies among Tribal Communities in Central-Eastern India

Abstract

Increasing precipitation anomalies and climate volatility severely disrupt rain-fed agrarian livelihoods across Eastern India. Grounded in Fikret Berkes’s Sacred Ecology and Social-Ecological Resilience frameworks, this qualitative ethnographic study examines autonomous climate adaptation among the Munda and Oraon tribal communities of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, Jharkhand. Based on semi-structured interviews (N = 38), focus group discussions, and participant observation across three rural blocks (Bero, Mandar, and Khunti), the study identifies three core pillars of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge (IEK): (1) ethno-meteorological forecasting via bio-indicators (faunal behavior, avian nesting, and floral phenology); (2) micro-topographical agro-biodiversity through drought-resilient millets (Madua, Gondli); and (3) community governance anchored in sacred groves (Sarna) and reciprocal labor networks (Madat). The findings indicate that IEK offers granular, place-based climate buffers that complement macro-level meteorological models. However, intergenerational attrition and unprecedented climate shocks threaten knowledge continuity. The paper highlights the critical need to integrate indigenous indicators, customary institutions, and decentralized seed banks into formal state climate action plans.