Forest knowledge of Maharashtra’s Mahadev Koli tribe can help fight climate change: study

The study documents the Mahadev Koli tribe's use of 51 tree species for medicinal purposes, highlighting that this traditional ecological knowledge should be recognised as scientifically valuable.

The use of medicinal plants makes the Mahadev Koli community resilient against healthcare disruptions by reducing dependency on external factors, and it also helps provide cost-effective treatment. (Photo: Dr Saurabh Purohit- WOTR Centre for Resilience Studies)

Written by: Anuradha Mascarenhas

3 min readPuneApr 16, 2025 07:22 PM IST First published on: Apr 16, 2025 at 03:52 PM IST

The Mahadev Koli tribe, an indigenous forest-dwelling community from Maharashtra’s North Western Ghats, remains largely absent from mainstream environmental discussions. However, a new study highlights the tribe’s rich reservoir of medicinal and ecological knowledge, expertise that could be vital in strengthening global climate resilience.

Conducted by the Watershed Organisation Trust – Centre for Resilience Studies in Pune, the study emphasises that the Mahadev Kolis inhabit one of the world’s top eight biodiversity hotspots, yet their local ecological knowledge (LEK), particularly regarding medicinal trees, remains largely undocumented in scientific literature.

Dr Y D Imran Khan of the Centre for Resilience Studies points out that this underrepresentation in environmental discourse is especially true for the Mahadev Kolis of Akole block in Ahmednagar district. These communities possess the ability to detect subtle ecological changes through their observations of the forest—an invaluable skill in the context of climate change. “This deserves urgent attention in climate policy discussions,” Khan said.

The Mahadev Koli tribe is an indigenous forest-dwelling community from Maharashtra’s North Western Ghats. (Photo: Dr Saurabh Purohit- WOTR Centre for Resilience Studies)

The study, titled ‘Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the Current Climate Crisis’, has been featured in global publisher Springer’s book Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies Against Climate Change in Natural Systems.

The study’s authors include Saurabh Purohit and Omkar Hande, who, said that for generations they have treated illnesses using 51 native tree species—offering remedies for fevers, dysentery, coughs, joint pain, skin infections, and even snake bites. They said their research frames traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) not as folklore but as a scientifically valuable, adaptive strategy to deal with the local manifestations of climate change.

Also Read | In a first, researchers on a mission to study microclimate across Western Ghats

Through detailed interviews with traditional healers, the study captures how climate variability is already altering plant cycles and availability. (Photo: Dr Saurabh Purohit- WOTR Centre for Resilience Studies)

Through detailed interviews with traditional healers, the study captures how climate variability is already altering plant cycles and availability — offering a real-time, place-based climate dataset that is completely absent from conventional monitoring systems. According to the study, the Mahadev Koli tribe uses 51 tree species across 41 genera and 25 families for medicinal purposes.

Mahadev Koli tribe and climate crisis

Tree bark was the most used part (24.8 per cent), followed by leaves (23.1 per cent) and fruits (20.5 per cent). Fabaceae and Moraceae are the most dominant medicinal tree families in their ecosystem. The tribe’s TEK spans plant taxonomy, land-use patterns, climate prediction, and healing systems. The study also advocates for ethical collaborations between indigenous communities and ecological researchers, urging mainstream science to recognise local taxonomies, seasonal calendars, and spiritual plant-based practices as serious scientific data — not “soft” knowledge.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning... Read More