Indigenous knowledge and sustainable development: Rüza—A traditional water management practice in Phek district, Nagaland

Abstract

In a world replete with social inequalities, water is increasingly becoming liquid gold that acts as a socio‐economic divider of the capitalist driven Anthropocene. Both geography and politics combine in diverse ways to form differential lived‐in experiences for communities across the globe in terms of where they stand in the world map of water crises and sustainable development. This study used semiotics and post‐development theory to propose a nonarbitrary symbol of sustainable development and to analyse the relationship between Western science and non‐Western‐indigenous practices. The objective was to broaden our conception of science and development. The researcher adopted mixed methods approach, comprising survey and ethnography, to draw an anthropological account of Rüza, a traditional water management practice in Phek district of Nagaland, India. The study has tried to contribute to policy discourse on inclusive development by suggesting operationalization of sustainable science based on pluriversal knowledge systems.