Sacred Ecology and Community Beliefs: Indigenous Environmental Ethics and the Conservation of Springs in Kashmir

Altaf Hussain Para

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.82962

Sacred Ecology and Community Beliefs: Indigenous Environmental Ethics and the Conservation of Springs in Kashmir

Author(s)	Dr Altaf Hussain Para
Country	India
Abstract	Human societies have historically depended upon the natural environment for survival, resulting in the emergence of complex cultural practices that regulated the use and protection of natural resources. Although the expansion of civilization and technological advancement significantly improved human living conditions, they also accelerated the exploitation of ecosystems and the degradation of natural heritage. In many traditional societies, however, indigenous belief systems and religious practices functioned as informal mechanisms of environmental governance by attributing sacred value to elements of the natural landscape. Such cultural perceptions often discouraged unsustainable exploitation and promoted long-term ecological stewardship. Focusing on selected springs and caves of the Kashmir Valley, this paper explores how religious beliefs, local traditions, and customary practices have contributed to the preservation of these natural heritage sites. It argues that sacred landscapes have historically served not merely as places of worship but also as effective instruments for community-based environmental conservation, offering important lessons for contemporary heritage management and sustainable resource conservation.
Keywords	Sacred ecology; Natural heritage; Indigenous belief systems; Environmental conservation; Freshwater springs; Sacred landscapes; Kashmir; Anantnag; Cultural heritage; Traditional ecological knowledge.
Field	Sociology > Archaeology / History
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On	2025-11-10
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.82962

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Sacred Ecology and Community Beliefs: Indigenous Environmental Ethics and the Conservation of Springs in Kashmir

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