Abstract:

India has a rich tradition in conserving non-forest patches known as sacred groves, through cultural and religious beliefs. Sacred groves not only preserve the indigenous biodiversity, it also mitigates the effects of climate change. This study explored the climate change awareness and environmental and cultural perceptions of people associated with Sharngakavu sacred grove in Kerala. Data was collected separately from native residents (NR) and non-resident devotees (NRD) through interviews and focus group discussions (FGD). Weighted average index (WAI) and Garrett scores were used to measure the perceived effects of climate change and the importance of socio-cultural values in sacred grove conservation. The results indicated that females in the middle age group of 41-65 years belonging to above poverty line economic status and graduate level of education dominated both NR and NRD categories.