We live in a society where every action we take can lead to more pollution in the world. Travelling by using existing fossil fuels, getting new clothes at a fast rate, clearing forests for urbanisation, adding our waste to landfills that create toxic gases as well as water bodies, using plastic everyday in various objects and what not. Humankind has been destroying this planet forever now. We have increased the temperature of Earth, created a hole in the Ozone layer, wiped off the habitat of different organisms that used to co-exist with us. Have you ever dreamt of living in an ecosystem where you don’t have to worry about your contribution to the ever-prevalent pollution of the plant we live in? Although it sounds impossible to achieve, it has been made into a reality. It is possible by living in an Eco Village.
First off, what exactly is an Eco Village?
To answer simply, they are communities of people in an urban or rural setting who come to live together with a lifestyle where the effect on the environment is minimum. They are self-sustaining, self-reliant communities that practice the three R’s of sustainability, use bio-fuel energy sources and unconventional building materials, build a strong ecological society with good relations between its people etc. however, it has various aspects:
Ecological: Its main point of emphasis is forging a strong relationship between the environment and people living in it. It is done by
- Consumption of organic food by the regional community.
- Usage of local materials and traditional architectural methods to build houses and other buildings.
- Management of waste correctly in order to protect the soil and water health.
- Encouragement of biodiversity and protection of the forest resources.
- Recycle and reuse of wastewater through the introduction of wastewater treatment systems and self-refining systems.
Economic: The economy of an eco-village is self-sustaining. Money comes from tourism as well as trading with each other.
- They use renewable energy with local focus.
- They usually pool resources for everybody’s well-being.
- Many eco-villages have a communal economy where buildings, land, and machines are commonly owned by all the dwellers.
- They share work as a part of life as well as its outcomes. The olive harvest in Tamera is an example.
Social: The community focuses on creating the opportunity for people to reconnect with their people as well as nature.
- Making the necessary correct decisions together for the whole eco society.
- Perpetuating preventative measures for good health of the people.
- Providing a complete life for all the members of the society based on equality and justice.
- Promoting permanent education for the children.
- Development of cultural practices.
There are global associations for eco-villages around the world, for example, Global Ecovillage Network create a greater scope for these sustainable living sites by sharing ideas and information, technologies and, and develop various exchanges between the eco-villages and eco-towns. They also offer courses on Permaculture and hold Summits to promote more learning on eco-villages
Where does India stand?
India has a number of eco-villages in multiple places.
Auroville, an eco-village situated in Tamil Nadu and parts of Pondicherry, was formed in the 1960s. With a population of 2,500, it has people living there from all over the world. They have their own internal organisations. One of them is the Green Group. Its primary concern at present is watershed management and reforestation, but at the same time, integrated farming practices are also a priority.
Another eco-village situated in the mountains of Sahyadri, Govardhan Eco Village is a project owned and managed by ISKCON Wada. They offer courses for Yoga, run an educational program called The Tide Turners Plastic Challenge to encourage and guide the youth in the ways of sustainability. Govardhan Ecovillage supports their farmers by providing them knowledge and financial aids. Head to the Philanthropy section for more on this.
Located in Orissa, Siddharth Village enhances tribal tourism, focuses on the development of the tribal and dalit women organisations, and works for increasing food security, strengthening social cohesion, and empowering to tackle the climate crisis.
Can we be a part too?
Eco-villages do let newbies enter their ecosystem as a permanent resident. If you are fascinated by the idea of sustainable living and harmless development, you too can start your journey as an eco villager. For that
- Get into the pool of knowledge and try to gather information about as many eco-villages as possible.
- Participate in the events, summits, courses or interactive sessions that they might organize.
- Learn about the skills you would need to live in an environment that would be totally different than your current city life.
- Most importantly, find your purpose. Get the answer to the question of “why” you want to live in an eco-village. If you are driven by passion and inspiration to make this great change in your life, we hope you can get into your dream eco-village one day.
Also Read: Home Is Where The Earth Is
