Local communities are the custodians of biodiversity and traditional
knowledge and they are not only losing their rich crop genetic diversity, but also rural
livelihoods. These changes have brought negative effects into their domains of
knowledge, culture and management of natural resources and have affected their
livelihoods significantly. This paper attempts to focus on the lives and livelihoods of
the Malayalis of Kolli Hills, especially on three key areas of natural resources and
associated traditional knowledge: neglected and underutilized crop species (NUS),
sacred forest landscapes and local art forms that highlight ecological relationships. The
experiences of several field based projects implemented by the M.S.Swaminathan
Research Foundation since 1994 highlights the need for a participatory natural resource
management strategy (PNRMS). People friendly pathways is required to be put in place
to ensure long-term sustainability of resources in such a landscape so that livelihoods
are sustained.
Keywords: Kolli Hills, Malayali Tribes, NUS, PPPPP Model, PNRMS,
SACRED, TEK.