Mangroves saving Irula tribe and fishing hamlets near Pichavaram from the tsunami – Tamil Nadu

The mangroves in the Pichavaram wetland stood as a solid buffer, saving the Irula tribe and about a dozen fishing hamlets from the tsunami.

Source: Towards sustainable rehabilitation
Volume 22 – Issue 04, Feb. 12 – 25, 2005
Frontline: India’s National Magazine from the publishers of THE HINDU
Date Visited: Thu Jul 07 2011 13:13:18 GMT+0200 (CEST)

“We are so much more than that. We follow a tradition rich in music, dance and love.” – Author Swarnalatha whose NGO works for the upliftment of her Irula community | SafeSearch (Irular) >>

Learn from M S Swaminathan – a world renowned scientist – how biological diversity contributes to public health, people’s livelihood and environmental security in addition to food security: his call on fellow citizens to use and share resources in a more sustainable and equitable manner; outlining the long journey from the 1992 Earth Summit to a commitment to foster inherited knowledge through India’s Biodiversity Act and Genome Saviour Award; an award intended to reward those who are “primary conservers” – guardians of biological diversity!

More about the work of his foundation which “aims to accelerate use of modern science and technology for agricultural and rural development to improve lives and livelihoods of communities.” – www.mssrf.org | Regarding the issues of food security raised above, and the nutritional value of indigenous grains, seeds and millets, read an in-depth report that concludes that “the tribal food basket has always been diverse and nutritious” >>

Up-to-date reports by Indian experts and journalists

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What does it mean to be Indigenous?

Indigenous Peoples can be identified according to certain characteristics:

They are politically and socially marginalized.

Most importantly, they self-identify as Indigenous Peoples.

They share an ancestral link with those who inhabited a country or region before they were colonized or before other peoples became dominant.

They have a strong link to particular territories and the surrounding natural resources.

They have distinct social, economic or political systems, which they are resolved to maintain and reproduce.

They have a distinct language, culture and beliefs.

There are more than 5,000 different Indigenous Peoples around the world comprising 476 million people – around 6.2% of the global population. They are spread across more than 90 countries in every region and speak more than 4,000 languages.  | Learn more (Amnesty International) >>

Source: “INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHTS” by Amnesty International
URL: https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/indigenous-peoples/
Date Visited: 10 May 2025

Learn more on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, their Languages & linguistic heritage & Tribal culture worldwide >>

Learn more

Atree.org | Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology & the Environment (posts)

Biodiversity | Biodiversity hotspot | Hyderabad biodiversity pledge

Climate change | Audio | The Climate Question (BBC Podcast)

eBook | Background guide for education

Ecology and environment | Eco tourism | Tourism | Wildlife tourism

Environmental history and what makes for a civilization – Romila Thapar

Equations blog (Equitable Tourism Options)

Forest Rights Act (FRA) | Hunter-gatherers | Illegal mining | Legal rights over forest land

Indigenous knowledge systems

Information provided by Indian government agencies and other organizations (FAQ)