Lessons in sustainability from India’s past: Water, water everywhere?

India currently ranks second worldwide in farm output. The country has a total arable land area of 159.7 million hectares and 82.6 million hectares of irrigated crops. Agriculture dominates water use in the country, demanding 83 percent of available fresh sources. This puts tremendous strain on fresh water in India – a challenge set to 

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Lessons in sustainability from India’s past: Revisiting the ecological roots of sustainability

Sustainability, a word that carries such importance today, became a societal goal post 1987 after a report submitted by the Brundtland Commission The definition used in this report integrated three pillars of economic, social and ecological development under the banner of sustainable development. Since then, the discourse around sustainability has expanded to include many different 

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Lessons in sustainability from India’s past

Agra, May 1579 The mercury has hit 40.2 degrees Celsius. The heat rises to form mirages across the city. In the palace of Sikri, Ranis – queens of Akbar – do not have the luxury of retreating into their rooms and turning on the air-conditioning. It is a good thing that they do not need to. 

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