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<p>India faces its worst water crisis, with 600 million people under extreme water stress and 70% of its water contaminated. Amid this crisis, the traditional water infrastructures of the Braj region, steeped in Vedic cultural heritage, offer valuable insights into sustainable water conservation. These systems embody religious and socio-cultural traditions, architectural ingenuity, and knowledge-based water practices that historically sustained communities. This study examines these infrastructures through the lens of “Living Heritage,” as defined by ICCROM (2003), emphasizing their role in shaping ecological, social, and cultural interactions, especially for rural women. Despite their significance, current conservation efforts focus largely on aesthetic restoration, neglecting the historical and emotional ties that communities once held with these spaces. The study reveals a disconnect between local populations and these heritage sites through ethnographic fieldwork, semi-structured interviews, emotional and cultural mapping, and direct observations in Braj. The findings argue that these vital infrastructures risk becoming lifeless relics without meaningful engagement of local communities, particularly women, and the integration of sustainable tourism and culturally rooted conservation practices. This research advocates for recognizing Braj’s water systems as living heritage, urging a shift towards inclusive, sustainable conservation approaches that revitalize their ecological and socio-cultural relevance for future generations.</p>

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Living heritage and water infrastructures in Braj: Reclaiming socio-cultural and ecological connections

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月29日

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  • Anupama Bharti

摘要

India faces its worst water crisis, with 600 million people under extreme water stress and 70% of its water contaminated. Amid this crisis, the traditional water infrastructures of the Braj region, steeped in Vedic cultural heritage, offer valuable insights into sustainable water conservation. These systems embody religious and socio-cultural traditions, architectural ingenuity, and knowledge-based water practices that historically sustained communities. This study examines these infrastructures through the lens of “Living Heritage,” as defined by ICCROM (2003), emphasizing their role in shaping ecological, social, and cultural interactions, especially for rural women. Despite their significance, current conservation efforts focus largely on aesthetic restoration, neglecting the historical and emotional ties that communities once held with these spaces. The study reveals a disconnect between local populations and these heritage sites through ethnographic fieldwork, semi-structured interviews, emotional and cultural mapping, and direct observations in Braj. The findings argue that these vital infrastructures risk becoming lifeless relics without meaningful engagement of local communities, particularly women, and the integration of sustainable tourism and culturally rooted conservation practices. This research advocates for recognizing Braj’s water systems as living heritage, urging a shift towards inclusive, sustainable conservation approaches that revitalize their ecological and socio-cultural relevance for future generations.