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HUMAN COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Q.6. Elucidate the role of religions and cultures in environmental conservation.


Ans. Introduction: Environmental conservation is the broad term for anything that furthers the goal of making life more sustainable for the planet. Ultimately. people want to help the planet survive naturally and with no negative impact from the human race.


Role of religions: 

(i) Hinduism: It is clear that the most ancient texts on Hinduism demonstrate through the praise of the deities an ecological awareness and great respect for the natural world. There are many specific teachings on environmental matterscontained in all these writings and ecological activists have drawn much inspiration from the text. For example, do not cut trees, because they remove pollution according to the Rig Veda.

(ii) Buddhism: Buddhism has been the inspiration in recent times for much practical work on environmental protection. It is often ranged against governments which seek to improve their economies by rapid development which often takes the form of damaging the environmental heritage.

(iii) Islam: In Islam, humans are expected to protect the environment is that no other creature is able to perform this task. Humans are the only beings that God has entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the earth. 


Role of Culture in conservation

Indian Culture: Indian Culture encourages people to worship trees and hence helps save trees. Moreover, trees are considered sacred in India and are worshipped. Indian traditions and cultures have been protecting our ponds and other water bodies. Indians worship Ganga river and other rivers.


Case Study: Sacred Groves

One of the finest examples of traditional practices in India based on religious faith which has made a profound contribution to nature conservation has been the maintenance of certain patches of land or forests as sacred groves, dedicated to a deity or a village God, protected, and worshiped. These are found all over India, and abundantly along the Western Ghats, the west coast, and in several parts of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

 

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