Sustainability in the past

With Climate Change becoming more real every day and so much of Earth’s natural resources depleting, earth is truly in danger now. But how do we save it in real life? There are seven billion people on the planet and we are running out of breathable air, drinkable water and fossil fuels, because of what we as humans have done to our planet over the last 100 years.

Being ‘Sustainable’ is the answer to saving Earth from any more harm. Practicing sustainability in various aspects of human life can help improve climate change and lessen the destruction of Earth’s natural resources.

But did you know that being sustainable is not a new concept? Civilizations throughout history have found ways to live and work with the environment, (not against it), to thrive and grow, as well as protect them from natural disasters. Here are a few examples that could inspire us in our journey towards more sustainable practices.

EARTHQUAKE-PROOF HUTS

One of the worst earthquakes to hit India was in 2001 in the province of Gujarat. It measured 7.6 on the Richter scale, and destroyed thousands of homes and many people lost their lives, except these little mud huts in a small village called Kutch.

The huts known as Bhungas which have been around for more than 200 years saw no harm, despite them being close to the epicenter of the quake. These simple houses are a unique type of circular mud hut, with thatched roofs and walls made of clay, twigs and dung. Because the houses have no corners and are lightweight, it withstood the earthquake while other buildings around them did not. The village started to build these circular houses in 1819, after an earthquake caused destruction to it at the time.

ANCIENT SUSTAINABLE MAYA

The ancient Mayan civilization of South America, lasted for more than 1000 years (250 B.C -1697 AD) and is thought of as the pioneer of sustainability. Along with their agriculture and farming, they are best known for how they planned their cities.

The first Mayan cities began around

750 B.C. and in time, they became very innovative. They were built in a grid-like system, called Solar. Each grid had a few houses, a garden space for growing food and medicinal plants, a common kitchen and also space for farm animals.

What is also very special about Mayan practices is that they often settled in places with limited surface water and decided to come together to build these cities so everyone could support everyone. They did this by creating large reservoirs that were deep enough to sustain these cities during the dry seasons. They also used the environment around them to keep their water clean.

SYSTEMS OF SRI LANKA

If you visit Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa you will get to see our very own sustainable practices of the past.

Parakrama Samudraya, Yodha Weva,

Tisa Weva and many more reservoirs built by kings of Sri Lanka are ancient irrigation systems that are thought to be some of the most complex of their kind, helping to grow crops in dry areas of the country.

Water resource management has been practiced since 500 B.C. in Sri Lanka and was considered one of the main responsibilities of the rulers.

At first, much like the Mayans, every village had its own man-made reservoir that stored water during the monsoon rains and provided for paddy and chena cultivations as well as home garden agro-forestry.

By the 12the Century B.C. during the reign of King Parakramabahu the Great, irrigation structures were made with expert knowledge and skill, and provided larger areas with water for paddy and chena cultivation.

Sustainable living was always a priority in the past, and much of the skills that were used can be adopted today to help save our declining world.