Bio-Cultural Diversity in the Living City of Varanasi (Banaras), India

Documentation of various facets of biological and cultural conservation practices, with increasingly greater emphasis on societal issues, is very much essential before they are totally eclipsed by the rapid process of modernization/globalization. While examining the current literature on traditional knowledge, we notice a curious absence of scientific studies based on intensive fieldwork among a large and important section of the world rural population. In this book, an attempt has been made to link biological diversity with socio-cultural diversity in view of integrating traditional knowledge within the framework of sustainability considering sustainable development requires incorporation of ecological process with social values.