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Decentralization and the cultural politics of natural resource management in Kerala, India
The state of Kerala in India 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 Chalakkudy...
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| Formato: | Printed Book |
| Publicado em: |
Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography
2014
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| Acesso em linha: | http://10.26.1.76/ks/004684.pdf |
| Resumo: | The state of Kerala in India 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 Chalakkudy River will displace two colonies of the Kadar tribe in Chalakkudy and Athirapilly
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 responsi-
bility 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 condition-
ing. 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 Chalakkudy and Athirapilly 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 predomi-
nately top-down approach towards natural resource management, and will negate Kerala’s goal of
democratic decentralization. |
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| Descrição Física: | P.397–411 35 (2014) |