Vernacular Agricultural Practices and their Impact and Dependency on Riverine Landscapes: Insights from the Mali Community in India

Rivers and landscapes are crucial in influencing the interactions between people and Nature. Indigenous communities living along these ecosystems develop strong connections stemming from ancestral observations and interactions. Their traditional beliefs, systems, knowledge, and practices help them maintain and shape their livelihoods around seasonal changes and the natural cycle of the landscapes they inhabit. This coexistence fosters sustainable living while maintaining the ecological balance. Indeed, the interactions between vernacular practices and riverine systems result in a dynamic system of adaptation and survival. This paper examines this coexistence, to reveal their indigenous knowledge and vernacular sensibilities to live around these ecosystems. It focuses on the temporal living systems based on the livelihood practices and patterns of the Mali community caused by seasonal changes along the River Banas near Palanpur City, Gujarat, India. The research employs qualitative and quantitative documentation methods. Fieldwork involved a site survey with community members and photographic documentation. Oral histories were recorded to understand the seasonal changes and community adaptations. Drawings were created based on site observations of settlement patterns, cropping patterns, and water usage. The mix of interviews and direct observations help capture both the concrete and intangible knowledge systems that govern their sustainable practice. The study concludes that seasonal rhythms of the river Banas’ influence the agricultural practices of the Mali community. Their adaptive land use and cropping patterns provide a sustainable and adaptive response to a non-perennial riverine setting, providing insights into resilient, temporal living.