Published: 2026-10-03

Indigenous Ecological Knowledge, Religion, and Environmental Stewardship among the Khasi Community in Bangladesh

Md. Abu Sayem Profil ORCID autora Md. Abu Sayem , H M Kutub Uddin Profil ORCID autora H M Kutub Uddin
Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae
Section: Articles
DOI https://doi.org/10.21697/seb.5909

Abstract

This article examines the traditional beliefs and practices of the Khasi indigenous community in Bangladesh from an ecological perspective, with particular attention to their indigenous ecological knowledge and environmental practices. It explores how Khasi religious beliefs, rituals, agroforestry, sacred forest traditions, and everyday cultural practices contribute to environmental conservation and ecological sustainability. Based on qualitative fieldwork and textual analysis, the article argues that, within the studied community, Khasi religious and cultural practices are associated with biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource use, and community-based environmental ethics. The findings further suggest that Christianization has modified some ritual forms while allowing certain ecological values to be reinterpreted through a syncretic ethic of stewardship. The findings contribute to current discussions on Indigenous Ecological Knowledge, religion and ecology, and the inclusion of locally grounded Indigenous perspectives in environmental governance. These findings are context-specific and do not support general conclusions about Khasi communities in Bangladesh as a whole.

Keywords:

Khasi community, Indigenous Ecological Knowledge, ecological sustainability, religion and ecology, environmental conservation, sacred groves, agroforestry, environmental stewardship, Bangladesh, SDG 15 – Life on Land, Christianization

Download files

Citation rules

Sayem, M. A., & Uddin, H. M. K. (2026). Indigenous Ecological Knowledge, Religion, and Environmental Stewardship among the Khasi Community in Bangladesh. Studia Ecologiae Et Bioethicae. https://doi.org/10.21697/seb.5909

Cited by / Share

This website uses cookies for proper operation, in order to use the portal fully you must accept cookies.