Traditional rural homes in the Brahmaputra basin: a model of ecosystem-based adaptation and biodiversity conservation- a comprehensive review

Traditional rural homes in the lower Brahmaputra Basin of Assam (India) and northern Bangladesh represent long-standing examples of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), where indigenous knowledge has shaped climate-responsive architecture, multifunctional homesteads, and sustainable resource-management practices. In one of South Asia’s most flood-prone and ecologically dynamic regions, these traditional systems provide important insights into how rural communities adapt to environmental stress while sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem functions. This review examines how vernacular housing design, homestead agroforestry, water-management systems, and community-based practices collectively contribute to climate resilience and biodiversity conservation. The study draws on a comprehensive review of published literature, field observations, and comparative evidence from the Indian and Bangladeshi portions of the Brahmaputra Basin to develop a conceptual framework linking traditional rural homes with ecosystem-based adaptation outcomes. The findings demonstrate that key features of traditional homesteads include elevated bamboo houses, thatched roofs, multi-strata home gardens, shade trees, ponds, and vegetated buffer zones function as interconnected socio-ecological systems that reduce vulnerability to flooding, riverbank erosion, waterlogging, and heat stress. These features also support essential ecosystem services such as thermal regulation, nutrient cycling, water retention, soil stabilization, and pollinator habitat conservation. In addition, homestead vegetation and water systems contribute to biodiversity conservation by sustaining diverse plant species, beneficial insects, birds, amphibians, and aquatic organisms within rural landscapes. The proposed conceptual model illustrates how traditional rural homes integrate architectural adaptation, ecological processes, and local knowledge to strengthen climate resilience in flood-prone environments. The study further argues that the ecological principles embedded within these indigenous systems remain relevant for contemporary rural planning and sustainable housing design. Policy implications include incorporating indigenous EbA practices into climate adaptation strategies, biodiversity conservation programs, and disaster-risk-reduction planning, particularly in vulnerable deltaic and coastal regions. Overall, the study highlights traditional rural homes as scalable and culturally grounded models for climate-resilient rural development in the Brahmaputra Basin.