At the face of fast increasing disaster frequency and magnitude and challenges posed by changing climate amalgamation of science and traditional knowledge hold the promise to ensure disaster resilience and promote climate adaptation.
Traditional knowledge
Pothayanar over Pythagoras
Tamil mathematician and poet Pothayanar had in 800 BC developed an easy methodology of calculating hypotenuse of a right-angle triangle without going into the intricacies of finding square root.
Mitigation Measures to Protect the Lake City
Not many would believe, but the expert committee constituted 04 days after Sher-ka-Danda landslide carried out detailed field investigations, established the causes of slope instability, and recommended not only elaborate mitigation measures but also suitable implementation mechanism in just 19 days, and these were actually implemented on ground in less than 02 years. The Lake […]
Sher-ka-Danda landslide of 1880
More than the devastation caused in Nainital town, Sher-ka-Danda landslide of September 18, 1880 needs to be remembered not only by Disaster Managers but also by the masses for prompt and detailed post-disaster investigations, and enactment of not only mitigation but also monitoring measures undertaken during the British Raj. 18 सितम्बर 1880 को नैनीताल में […]
A HEP project that protected the Balia ravine
Conceived in 1918 Balia Nala hydroelectric power (HEP) project lighted up Nainital Municipality and provided water to its residents from 1922 to 1974, besides protecting the Balia ravine from erosion and earning revenue for the Municipality. 119 years after 1803 Garhwal Earthquake it was on September 1, 1922 that the lake city Nainital got regular electricity supply. […]
Earthquake safety tradition in the Himalayas
Experimenting with building design and construction precepts the people living in earthquake prone Himalayan region developed a construction algorithm with five distinct principles that ensured safety of structures during earthquake incidences. Ongoing tectonic movements, ensuing subduction of the Indian Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate, and their consequent collision resulted in the evolution of the Himalayan […]
Traditional landslide management practices of Himalaya
Ignorance of traditional practices under the lure of economic opportunities, comfort, and convenience have aggravated the menace of landslides in the Himalayan region. The Himalayan region has always been prone to a number of hazards that are generally owed to its unique tectonic and geomorphic setup as also evolutionary history, and meteorological conditions. Stabilisation of […]
Tradition of groundwater prospecting in Himalayas
Survival in the mountainous terrain, with scarce water availability despite ample rains, would not have been possible without mastering the art of water harvesting. The people of the region therefore observed natural processes related to water, ensured this knowledge being transferred from one generation to other, and experiemented to maximise water availability. Seeking answers to […]
Traditional knowledge: Groundwater presence
Just imagine that the early settlers in the Himalayan region were aware of the intricacies of Hydrological Cycle, groundwater presence, means of enhancing groundwater recharge, and had even mastered the art of groundwater exploration. Hope this is no testing time for the limits of your imagination. What if I say that by the end of this […]
Tradition of water harvesting
Nectar of life Everyone knows that water is a must for survival, and you would have often observed plants in your terrace wither or wilt due to shortage of water. It is however a lesser-known fact that water has been an essential ingredient for the very evolution of life, and the earliest life forms on […]