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Re-looking Through Ian Mc Harg's Perspective on Landscape Planning: Watershed Management of Cultural Landscapes of Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, India

2022; Springer International Publishing; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/978-3-031-10800-6_1

2522-8722

Sneha Ramani,

Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management

Orchha uplands in central India, once the capital of the Bundela Rajputs from 1531 to 1783, and now in Madhya Pradesh, India, is facing increasing pilgrimage and tourism pressures. The protected monuments of the region are only a part of a complex multi-layered cultural landscape heritage of the setting—the importance of the Orchha is not limited to its architectural heritage, but also encompasses its environmental and landscape heritage. The environmental heritage of Orchha includes—the Orchha Sanctuary, the braided Jamni and Betwa River. During the course, the Betwa and Jamni River carve interesting geological forms like rocky outcrops, rapids, etc., adding to the leisure value of the setting. The Orchha Sanctuary forms a habitat for many species of reptiles, mammals, and birds, making it a must-visit destination for nature lovers. The urban development of Orchha and its adjoining villages, owing to the cities pilgrimage and heritage value, requires a holistic approach to the sustainable development of the city's cultural landscape while critically examining the management of water resources. The idea of the study was to comprehend the tourism pressures of the region and propose a holistic conservation framework (using Ian McHarg’s framework, as presented in Design with Nature book) based on managing and protecting the water-dependent cultural landscape. The extent of the region selected for our study aligns with the watershed basin of the rivers Betwa and Jamni. The grounded conjectures of Orchha from site readings, mappings, and interviews of water resources revealed issues about pollution, groundwater degradation, degradation of vegetation, habitat fragmentation, etc. This understanding helped identify the potential areas of intervention to ensure sustainable development and prevent the loss of essential water resources.