Empathetic climate resilient frugal innovations for sustainable communities

Abstract

Dealing with risk and uncertainty has contributed to the evolution of local knowledge, institutions and culture among farming, pastoral and artisanal communities at grassroots level. The traditional institutions, practices and ways of finding contemporary innovative solutions to emerging problems still remain relevant even if some of the indicators or specific practices may have lost their relevance (Leonard, Sonia, et al , 2013, Corinne Valdivia, D. Green and G. Raygorodetsky, 2010 , Coleen Vogel et. Al., 2007 ). Institutional adaptation plays no less important a role through collective action (Daivi Rodima-Taylor, Mette F. Olwig, Netra Chhetri, 2012, also see www.sristi.org/cpri). The resilience requires not just actor based study but also the role of entire socio-ecological system (Gupta, 1984, Donald R. Nelson, W. Neil Adger,and Katrina Brown, 2007) This paper focuses more on technological adaptation and innovation (Gupta, 1992,1995, 1989, 2006, 2012). The grassroots innovations emerging in a materially constrained environment invariably leverage knowledge, ingenuity and local resources in a very frugal and empathetic manner. In part one, creative and innovative coping strategies of knowledge rich-economically poor people are summarized. Part Two deals with the contours of emergent inclusive innovative ecosystem in India over the last 25 years of Honey Bee Network. Part three lists emerging inclusive models of innovations having bearing on creativity at the grassroots level. Trends in innovation literature, particularly from an open innovation perspective are reviewed in part four followed by a summary of key points at the end.