Dulari Parmar

“In rehabilitating these forgotten pioneers, I do not wish to suggest that in their work one can find specific solutions to all the environmental problems of the present.

Living in the lap of nature and interacting with it on an everyday basis allows us human beings to form a unique relationship with it. Here, nature does not stand separate or distinct from human life but is woven into people’s everyday actions and decisions. Stories abound in almost every old community and culture that speaks of nature, its abundant or scarce flora and fauna, nature as a willing comrade at times and a fierce adversary at others.

Cities are significant contributors to climate change, accounting for 60-80 percent global energy consumption and 75 percent greenhouse gas emissions, as the United Nations reminded us in 2021. They are also deeply impacted by climate change, especially in the Global South, where the most marginalised bear the brunt of extreme weather events.