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WOMEN AND ENVIORNMENTAL PROTECTION IN KARNATAKA WITH SPECIAL

REFRENCE TO SALUMARADA THIMMAKKA

Environmental issues such as climate change, clean water, air pollution and preserving

natural resources are important to women and their families, and women have the opportunity

to inspire and lead others to act consciously about how their actions can help or harm theearth. Women make up the majority of the earths population and are vulnerable to

detrimental changes to the planet therefore we have a vested interest in taking care of it.

The women play a significant role in preserving our earth as mothers. Especially in third

world countries, millions of women are struggling with environmental risk factors that can

harm them. These include issues such as air pollution, contaminated water, lack of adequate

sanitation, disease vectors and degraded ecosystems. Women depend on natural resources for

their economic and physical health, and providing for their families.

Nearly all of the United Nations millennium development goals have implicationsfor women

and the environment. Since 2005, the U.N.O has supported womens roles in protectingbiodiversity, indigenous knowledge and overseeing environmental resources.

Women should be empowered so that their actions lead to a healthier, more peaceful planet.

Because women have a special vulnerability when it comes to the earths sustainability, their

involvement with environmental efforts is crucial

. Fuel, fodder and water collections are the accepted responsibilities of women. Asthe environment degrades, these basic necessities become difficult to collect. The time awoman spends on gathering fuel, fodder and water, as well as attending to householdwork, agricultural work and animal care, reduces her efficiency and inputs. Dr. M. S.Swaminathan, former member of the planning Commission stated, if men had to fetch

drinking water the 230,000 villages would not have remained without provision ofdrinking water after several years of planned development.

Traditionally, women have dealt with non-monetised biomass based subsistenceeconomy of the household i.e. firewood, cow-dung, crop wastes, organic manure, etc. Incomparison. men tend to destroy nature to earn MONEY even if it means creating

hardship in their own families for their womenfolk to collect fuel and fodder e.g. sale ofherbs and wood. The upshot is that women work as unpaid labourers on family farmswith a greater role than men in operational decision making.

In effect this means that women's responsibilities extend from the householdduties to working in the fields as well. As the time required for fuel and fodder collection

grows and firewood becomes scarce, cow-dung previously spread on the fields, is used inthe kitchen, thereby depleting soil resources and causing a negative effect on thelivelihood of local people and environment.The Women are active workers in aforestation principally because they are the primary victims of deforestation, especially

when deforestation for resettlement purposes has taken place. They are involved inmobilising and making selective use of forests and other necessary natural resourcese.g. They apply manure to the soil and help regeneration of the forest by regulating itsuse. They are aware of the forest land,

livestock and human resource chain essential for sustainable development, e.g. the Kerehosahalllvillage of Uttar Kanara district In Karnataka where the Appiko movement Is effective.

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Women mobilise conserve and preserve resources in their roles as housewives,mothers, wives, daughters and farmers.

Sometimes development projects contribute to the damage of our natural andcultural environment whereby women are the primary victims for e.g. damconstructions, quarrying.

Project Partner: Vivekananda Girijana Kalyan Kendra, Karnataka. -Aim of the Project:Conservation and propagation of medicinal plants especially those threatened due to destruction offorests and other development activities through eco-development activities among soliga tribals.This project helped generate employment and enhanced the family income of the Soligas.

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