Mahadev Koli Tribe's Traditional Knowledge Overlooked in Climate Resilience Efforts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Tribe Name | Mahadev Koli Tribe |
| Location | Akole block of Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, in the North Western Ghats. |
| Deity | Mahadev |
| Recognition | Officially recognized as a Scheduled Tribe in India. |
| Language | Speak Marathi and write in the Devanagari script. |
| Community Structure | Comprises 24 exogamous clans, with members adopting clan names as surnames. |
| Livelihood | Agriculture, cattle rearing, dairy and poultry farming, and wage labour. |
| Traditional Knowledge | Hold rich Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), using over 50 native tree species for treating ailments. |
| Medicinal Practices | Use bark, leaves, and fruits from plant families such as Fabaceae and Moraceae to treat ailments like fevers, dysentery, coughs, joint pain, skin infections, and snake bites. |
| Ecological Expertise | Rely on seasonal calendars, indigenous taxonomies, and forest-based ecological indicators to monitor environmental shifts. |
| Biodiversity Hotspot | Reside in the Western Ghats, one of the top 8 global biodiversity hotspots. |
| Research Organization | Study conducted by the Watershed Organisation Trust - Centre for Resilience Studies (W-CReS), Pune. |
| Publication | Findings featured in Springer's book: Mitigation & Adaptation Strategies Against Climate Change in Natural Systems. |
| Scientific Contribution | Their TEK is presented as adaptive, scientific knowledge, forming a ground-level climate dataset absent from standard meteorological systems. |
| Ecological Knowledge | Spans plant taxonomy, healing systems, land-use patterns, seasonal calendars, and spiritual plant practices. |