Premium

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)

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 three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram