Lessons for the future
Humans are essentially a part of nature and it is impossible to disentangle human affairs from what is happening to forests, animals, insects and microorganisms
Population pressure affects environment adversely, which, in turn, affect the population. Whenever a population increases beyond the carrying capacity of the local ecology, it dies out
The Harappan culture exploited its environment too severely, resulting in the collapse of the civilsation
Kautilya systematised change in landuse from jungles to agricultural fields and orchards. In the transformation of natural to 'cultivated' wilderness, people could help maintain an optimal density of plantations
The sultans promoted herbal medicine and lift irrigation, while the Mughals protected forests and built orchards in and around cities
The British policy ignored the value of non-commercial species for the local communities and the effects of overexploitation of forests
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