One sun, two worlds: an ecological journey

This conversational exercise between a village-level representative of Traditional Knowledge' (hereafter referred to as TK), and a trained scientist representing 'Formal Knowledge' (referred to as FK), is part of a larger MAB initiative of the UNESCO Regional Office, New Delhi, in the area of linking conservation with sustainable developmental concerns. This initiative is part of an environmental education and awareness programme, aimed at addressing the genuine problems and concerns of traditional societies, living close to nature and natural resources, and also of those rural communities living in the resource-depleted villages of the developing tropics. Coming from diverse linguistic, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, the basic issues of the marginalized sections of the society across the globe remain the same, though the emphasis in this initiative is centred around the Indian scene. Whilst the rural poor are struggling to conserve the rich but rapidly depleting natural resources that are closely linked to their livelihood needs, the richer sections of the society are becoming more and more exploitative of nature and natural resources, Al the same time, the ecological community is getting more and more concerned with issues of rehabilitation of already degraded ecosystems, and conservation of what remains! Indeed, these concerns of mine and a large number of my collaborators, forms the basis for what got started back in the early 1970s, an effort that is still continuing in the area of natural resource management on the biophysical side and sustainable livelihood/development of humans on the social side, which is the basis for this dialogue between TK and FK. As part of a long journey, this dialogue is a follow up companion volume, of another 'reach-out publication of one of us (PSR) entitled "Ecology and Sustainable Development.coming from the Indian govemment publication outlet, National Book Trust (NBT) of India, New Delhi.