The Pichavaram Chidambaram forest, resting within the Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu, is the world’s second largest mangrove forest. Its expansive growth covers about 45 square kilometers along southern India’s Uppanaru River and offers immeasurable ecological value.

The river’s freshwater mixes with saltwater from its source, the Bengal Bay, forming the calm Killai backwaters that saturate the mangroves. Protected by a sandbar, the river runs smoothly and slowly through the bottom of the country. Though the water’s depth is no more than 3-4 feet, its ecosystem flourishes with countless plants and animals.

Interconnected by more than 400 river system routes, the diverse range of unique habitats offers ideal territories for countless species of birds and animals. So far, over 170 different species of both migrant and local birds have been identified within the Pichavaram Mangrove Forest. These distinct environments range from channels, creeks, gullies, mudflats, sandflats, to the neighboring seashore.

The area is designated as a national forest but is situated between two large estuaries, the Velar in the north and the Coleroon in the south, which makes environmental protection even more of a priority.

Apart from offering an incredible level of biodiversity to the area, the mangroves themselves hold immense value for the human populations nearby. The dense roots of the tree help provide natural infrastructure and protection by absorbing storm surges from extreme natural events like tsunamis. Tamil Nadu experienced this in 2004 when a large tsunami hit the coast, killing over 100,000 people. Without the mangroves, the death toll would have been much worse.

They also help stabilize the ecosystem year round by mitigating coastline erosion. Their roots, again, help bind and build soil below the ground. Above the earth, they slow down water flow and allow sediment deposits to increase. In a simple scientific process, mangrove root systems filter nitrates, phospates, and other pollutants from the water as it passes by. By improving the water quality at the start of the river, the mangroves help ensure all other ecosystems downriver have clean, healthy water.

Bamboo is one of the most diversified natural resources in the world. Unbeknownst to us, India also happens to be the second largest natural producer of the grass, overrun just by China. Tamil Nadu once hosted forests of bamboo which were eventually limited through years of colonization and eco-destruction, as discussed with our group by a local expert at the Mohanem Cultural Center and Auroville Bamboo Center. In Auroville, a community of forward-thinking experts of Tamil Nadu ecology and culture are working to bring back bamboo as a key member of the local environment. Through testing various versions of the plant, a specific strain called Beama has been successfully grown to uphold to the climate here and provide a sturdy substance for sustainable architecture, art crafting, and daily use. 

Aurovillians are paving the way for sustainability and their cultivation of bamboo is no different. Through our exploration of the bamboo forests and subsequent shops selling bamboo goods, we came to find that bamboo can be used in myriad ways. The photos below show a collection of bamboo-reinforced home construction, soap, teas, and much more. Additionally, bamboo does not require fertilizer making it eco-friendly and environmentally conscious. As a result, the planting of Aurovillian bamboo forests has also been subsidized by the Tamil Nadu government. Evidently, Auroville is once again lending a shining light on the innovations of sustainable technology with a respect for tradition and consciousness.

Hidden behind some mother’s side a child peers out with tear-filled, begging eyes. They are bathed in a hazy light and animals run around wildly. With your money, you can help, save, and fix their problems. Their story, after all, must be identical to everyone others’ in their village, state, and country… right?

Many fundraising campaigns and NGOs pride themselves on aiding the ‘sickly village child’ and ‘impoverished family,’ smearing images of such likenesses across their social platforms. Though indeed food insecurity and economic inequality are realities of our global community, supporting those experiencing these circumstances should never be based on guilt and shame which perpetuates ‘othering.’ This is precisely the unlearning that we have to do. 

Sharana is an organization of about 53 members whom work to support and uplift approximately 900 village children of the Pondicherry area. With 6 centers within their vicinity, Sharana provides myriad services from homework help to art therapy. Created out of an effort to facilitate structured learning in the lives of Tamil Nadu children, Sharana has now grown immensely— receiving financial support from many foreign governments, including the French government. Nonetheless, Sharana has made it very clear that they adopt a ‘no nonsense’ policy when it comes to donor coverage and support. ‘Donors do not drive our vision,’ says Rajkala Partha, founder and President at Sharana. The premise of Sharana is that it must be guided by those the needs of those it seeks to work with, not those who seek to work with it. This philosophy, along with the truly remarkable leadership at Sharana, maintains a sense of integrity to its work which is quite unlike many of the savior-complexed NGOs we see coming from the West. 

More on their work, Sharana gives daily after school lessons in language, computer literacy, mathematics, and art to the participating children. Recognizing that the homelife of these kids may also be an impediment to their growth and learning, as alluded to by Rajkala by mention of Pondy’s high rate in domestic and sexual violence, Sharana also provides art therapy services to the fathers of the children and a space for understanding to the mothers. Ultimately, Sharana realizes that inspiring the language necessary to comprehend one’s scenario often leads to the reparation of it. Just below is an image of paintings made by some of Sharana’s fathers, led through an exercise of emotional release via art with Sharana’s art therapist Manuel. 

There simply is so much that could be said of the fantastic work which Sharana does. I invite you to check out their website and, if possible, reach out to get involved!

For some additional understanding on ‘unlearning,’ take a look at this video which briefly summarises the malfeasance of many NGO communications projects:

CSR Geomatics monitors the rainfall within Auroville. They have various rain tracking systems in place all over the city to keep track of how much it rains. There is also a team of people to manage it.    

Not all soils are created equal, some soils collect more water than others, while others are unable to collect any water at all. Sometimes this has to do with how much water is taken from the aquifers.  

Using ground water is not inherently a danger, instead it’s how much of the water is drained. Giulio explains that if too much water is taken, there is a risk of permanent damage. When too much water is taken, subsidence occurs. Subsidence means that the soil becomes compact and no longer absorbs as much water as before or at all. CSR Geomatics emphasizes that there is a danger of constantly utilizing ground water. Subsidence can lead to increased amounts of flooding because the water does not have elsewhere to go. Subsidence can also negatively affect buildings, causing them to erode. 

This is important because some cities and states heavily rely on the use of ground water to access water during droughts. The state of California estimates that some communities within the state rely solely on ground water to get by. Before 2014, the amount of water taken from the aquifers was unmonitored. This led to the introduction of the Sustainable Water Management Act.  The San Joaquin valley is over drawn about 2/3 more than the state average. To combat this, the state has made plans to refill the aquifers with water but the problem of where to find the water remains.  

California is constantly in a state of drought, as are many other parts of the world. Climate change will only exacerbate this problem; extreme droughts in some areas while others flood. Taking care of the aquifers is a drought prevention method.  

Despite the bleak outlook, Giulio proposes to stop waste from running off into the ocean after it rains. There are many methods that can be used; using water basins, treating wastewater.

“Art should not be restricted to a wall of a room,” says Puja, the co-founder of Myths in Art. Founded in 2020 by Puja and Kevin, Myth in Art is a local visionary art store that not only sells beautiful and unique art pieces, but also promotes sustainability through their art, goals, and production. They believe that art should be shared and expressed with others, so they sell their art in forms of clothing, active wear, tarot cards, postcards, and more. They have the goal to be as sustainable as possible within their artwork and the products they produce. 

Inspired by dreams and nature, Puja creates her art from the heart, making pieces authentically unique and vibrant. She primarily uses watercolor where she can feel emotions and produce a frame that can stimulate the psychological process with color. The fine line pen strokes accentuate the mythically themed story that is being told. Making pieces so personable, relatable to many, and beautiful at the same time. Connecting art through dreams, feelings, and emotions. 

With nature and beautiful life around us in mind, Puja believes that “As artists, [they] are very conscious about not to make artwork out of plastic material” and produce sustainably made products. She mentions how large retailers and fast-fashion cause so much harm. For example, 85% of textiles created by fast fashion are disposed of unsustainably and are responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions. Puja and Kevin refuse to follow this model so to follow the sustainable goal of following responsible consumption and production, Myths in Art uses biodegradable material for their quality products. They also follow a production after purchase model where a product will only be made when it is purchased online in order to prevent overproduction. Another way that they follow sustainability is working with companies that follow the same values such as an American company which produces recycled polyester swimwear for their swimwear line. However, Puja recognizes a problem within the art world where busy artists who do not have time or the materials to make their own paint are dependent on paint companies that use chemicals. She notes how companies should start producing environmentally friendly paint materials with pigments coming from naturally found minerals. This way, art would become more sustainable. 

Puja and Kevin want to show how art and sustainability could be combined and how it can be beautifully displayed on shirts, swimwear, active wear, and more. They network with other local artists around Auroville like jewelers, sculptures, and painters to organize exhibits or pop-up shops to promote their work with the promotion of sustainability in mind.