Indigenous knowledge on bio-resources management for sustainable livelihood by the cold desert people, trans-Himalaya, Ladakh, India

Abstract

The present study is carried out in Ladakh to document the indigenous knowledge on bio-resources management. People here practice various indigenous techniques for storage, use and management of their local resources. Some of the indigenous practices for storage of cultivated crops (i.e., food grains, vegetables, and fruits), fuel, fodder and several other bioresources in nutshell are described in this paper. The present study not only established the validity of traditional knowledge but also indicates the urgency to use and keep them in a sustainable mode. Indigenous knowledge if not conserved properly will be seriously threatened under pressure of modernization and especially on account of the apathy among the new generation.