Conserving the living root bridges of Meghalaya

In north-eastern India, tradition and conservation intertwine

August 19, 2024

mawkyrnot_village_longest_living_root_bridge_UNDP_India — The Khasi tribe have mastered the art of making bridges from ficus trees that help them travel through dense tropical forests.

UNDP India

The forest is abuzz with the sounds of birds and insects as Morningstar Khongthaw, 29, walks into a thicket adjoining a stream. “It rains here throughout the year, so the streams are always full of water. It is nearly impossible to swim or wade through them, especially if one is travelling with family or carrying heavy goods. That is why they are so important,” he explains, pointing to a pedestrian bridge made fully out of trees.

The state of Meghalaya in north-eastern region of India is a part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, one of the world’s most biologically important regions with several endemic species, including over 7,000 plants and 500 vertebrates. It is also home to 300 million people, the majority of whom depend on this biodiversity for their livelihoods.

The Khasi hills in Meghalaya are home to the Khasi tribe, who have mastered the art of making bridges from ficus trees that help them travel through dense tropical forests. Called Living Root Bridges, villagers tie the aerial roots of the rubber tree (ficus elastica) at both ends of the river to pieces of bamboo which help guide these roots towards each other and intertwine. The process can take 20 to 25 years. The bridges connect remote villages through steep and slippery terrain in deep gorge valleys where it is difficult to build concrete roads and steel bridges because heavy rainfall causes frequent landslides.

Living root bridges epitomize the sustainable lifestyle and culture of the Khasis that acknowledges the interdependence and interconnectedness of all life. This is reflected in their reverence towards nature, from a large number of sacred groves, areas within forests where extraction of natural resources is prohibited to allow natural regeneration, or a ban on hunting wildlife. Eco-friendly practices can be witnessed in their day-to-day lives, from packing food in leaves to making dustbins from bamboo instead of plastic.

"As long as the trees are healthy, the roots naturally grow and strengthen, and older roots are replaced by new ones. If we maintain them properly, they can last forever. Most bridges in this region have been around for centuries."

- Morningstar Khongthaw

With modern construction techniques enabling concrete roads and bridges to be built even in remote areas, the utility of living root bridges is diminishing. “While modernization must happen, the art of making living root bridges also needs to be conserved. Through them, we protect our biodiversity and the centuries of cultural heritage connected with it,” Morningstar says.

Driven by this mission, he founded the Living Bridge Foundation (LBF) in 2018. It aims to educate the Khasi community about the importance of reviving the art of living root bridges, especially among young people, and maintaining bridges that have fallen into disrepair.

While the functional utility of the bridges may be waning, they have created another livelihood avenue through tourism. Every year, thousands of people from all over the world come to witness this unique amalgamation of human ingenuity and nature. As homestay owners, nature guides, artisans and cooks, a diverse array of livelihoods opportunities are opening up for the local community. This has encouraged young people to stay in their villages instead of migrating to cities to find jobs.

“Through the foundation, I travel across villages sensitizing people about the value of these root bridges. We go to the forests to repair old bridges, where the village elders teach young people the nuances of this centuries old craft knowledge. With tourism growing, there is a lot of interest both among women and men, and it helps me to encourage them in keeping this heritage alive,” says Morningstar.

The North East Biodiversity Initiative (NEBI) supported by the Government of Germany and UNDP is supporting LBF in this endeavour. The partnership has developed community-based tourism models in over 400 households in three villages. By training community members to develop homestays and become nature guides, and supporting traditional artisans make market-ready crafts, livelihood opportunities are being created. With tourists driving demand for naturally grown food products, facilities have been created for post-harvest processing of indigenous fruit varieties.

A ‘Centre of Knowledge’ for Living Root Architectures is being established to educate the younger generation on the traditional knowledge of weaving and training the roots to ensure the continuity of this tradition. Regular consultations are organized with the communities to discuss the importance on services provided by living root bridges, such as preventing soil erosion and conserving water.

Walking towards the forest with his fellow villagers to repair a root bridge, Morningstar talks about their strong emphasis on ensuring that tourism activities are sustainable. “Around one of the living root bridges, some concrete construction was done to strengthen the structure as there was a lot of tourist footfall and the original bridge might not be able to bear the load. This was a wakeup call for us to consider if increasing tourist numbers is the right approach, as it compromised the very natural heritage we want to preserve. We are now working with the community to ascertain the carrying capacity of each village and stick to those numbers, and curating new experiences for tourists like cultural events and birdwatching so that the incomes of people are not affected.”

As a group of villagers step onto a living root bridge, bathed in the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy, a sense of hope takes root. Here, tradition and conservation intertwine, paving the way for a flourishing future.