Indigenous Land-Based Perspectives on Environmental Sustainability: Learning from the Khasis Indigenous Community in Bangladesh

Ranjan Datta (), Rajmoni Singha and Margot Hurlbert
Additional contact information
Ranjan Datta: Canada Research Chair in Community Disaster Research at Indigenous Studies, Department of Humanities, Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB T3E 6K6, Canada
Rajmoni Singha: Department of Political Science and Sociology, North South University, Dhaka 1229, Bangladesh
Margot Hurlbert: Canada Research Chair, Climate Change, Energy and Sustainability Policy, Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4P 4V5, Canada

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: This research explores Indigenous land-based perspectives on environmental sustainability, centering on the Khasis Indigenous community in Bangladesh. With a critical connection to their land-based cultural heritage and environment, the Khasis community offers a distinctive perspective for examining environmental challenges. Emphasizing the traditional land-based knowledge and practices of the Khasis, as well as their insights on environmental challenges, this study employs a land-based theoretical framework. It sheds light on the adaptive strategies of Khasis Indigenous communities amidst shifting environmental conditions, illustrating how they integrate sustainable practices into daily life by drawing upon Indigenous land-based knowledge and practices to mitigate environmental risks. Additionally, the research scrutinizes the challenges faced by the Khasis in preserving their land-based knowledge, practices, and identity in the face of a global environmental crisis. The findings contribute to broader discussions on Indigenous land-based knowledge and practices and their significance in contemporary climate discourse. By amplifying the voices of the Khasis Indigenous community’s land-based knowledge and practices, this study advocates for the incorporation of Indigenous perspectives into climate policies and interventions. It underscores the necessity for a more inclusive and culturally sensitive approach to environmental sustainability, one that acknowledges and respects the resilience of Indigenous communities like the Khasis in Bangladesh.

Keywords: Indigenous; land-based perspectives; environmental sustainability; Khasis community; adaptive strategies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/9/3678/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/9/3678/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:9:p:3678-:d:1384680

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().