The provision of declaring Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) in the National Biodiversity Act 2002 provides an opportunity to give recognition to the community initiatives vis-a-vis the institution of the sacred natural sites (SNS). In brief, the salient feature of the Biodiversity Act 2002, as relates to the BHS, is that the state government in consultation with the local bodies may notify in official gazette, biodiversity rich areas, including the SNS as BHS.

Rain water use efficiency (RWUE) is the assessment of a rainfed cropping system’s capacity to convert water into plant biomass or grain. Comparison of RWUE of various crops grown under traditional tribal farming system and its performance in drought year will give an insight for prioritization of crops grown in rainfed tribal areas. A study was undertaken in a tribal watershed of Koraput district to prioritize the commonly grown crops based on RWUE and their comparative performance during water stress condition.

Effective wildlife conservation requires understanding and integration of cultural values and practices among communities within wildlife range areas. In Africa, ele