IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

“The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed.”- Mahatma Gandhi

Living in harmony with nature means understanding that human beings are not separate from the environment, but an integral part of it. Nature is not just the backdrop to our lives—it is its bedrock. The forests that breathe for us, the rivers that give us water, the soil that grows our food—these are not luxuries, but necessities. Yet, despite this deep connection, human activities often run counter to nature, with disastrous consequences.

The meaning of harmony

Living in harmony with nature does not mean returning to caves or abandoning modern lifestyles. It means understanding limits, adopting sustainable lifestyles, and making decisions that respect ecological balance. A perfect example is the Chipko movement of the 1970s. In the villages of Uttarakhand, especially women protested against deforestation by clinging to trees. It was not just a fight to save trees, but to protect their livelihoods—the forests gave them life in the form of water, wood, and fodder. This local struggle gradually gained international recognition and reshaped environmental thinking. It showed that when people live in harmony with nature, development is balanced.

Tribal knowledge and tradition

Tribal communities around the world have lived in balance with nature for centuries. The Masai people of East Africa rotate their cattle grazing to give the land time to regenerate. Tribal societies in India worship trees, rivers and mountains as gods, which instills a sense of respect and conservation for the environment. A modern example of this is Bhutan, where Gross National Happiness is prioritized over GDP. Bhutan is over 70% forested and is one of the few carbon-negative countries in the world.

Defamation of nature and its consequences

When we ignore or exploit nature, the impact always comes back — sometimes slowly, sometimes in the form of disaster. For example, the Chennai floods of 2015. This rain had happened before, but the scale of the devastation that year was unprecedented. The reason was not just the weather, but wrong urbanization. Natural reservoirs and ponds that should have been left to soak up rainwater were filled up and buildings were built over them. When the rains came, there was no way for the water to drain out. More than 500 people lost their lives and property worth thousands of crores was destroyed. Another example is the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientists believe that the virus jumped from wild animals to humans, the main reason for which is deforestation and unnecessary interference with wildlife. As we cut down forests, we get closer to wildlife and the risk of zoonotic diseases increases.

Environmental crisis around the world

The Amazon rainforest — called the lungs of the earth — is being cut down on a large scale every year, mainly for the meat industry and soybean farming. This not only reduces biodiversity, but also increases carbon dioxide emissions. The Aral Sea (Central Asia) was once the fourth largest lake in the world, but today it is almost gone. The reason for this was the diversion of rivers for cotton cultivation. This destroyed the fishing industry, changed the local climate and toxic chemicals along with sand started spreading in the villages.

The threat of climate change

Climate change is the biggest indicator of the imbalance between us and nature. Extreme heat, unseasonal rains, drought, floods – these have now become common. In 2023, heat waves in India wreaked havoc in North India. Temperatures reached 48°C in many places. Fields dried up, demand for electricity increased and the health system collapsed. In contrast, countries like the Netherlands planned flood control in collaboration with nature. Under a plan called “Room for the River”, rivers were given space so that they could spread whenever they wanted. Instead of fighting nature, they chose to work with nature.

Positive steps

To live in harmony with nature, we have to bring changes at both individual and collective levels.

At the individual level:

Reducing plastic use Composting household waste Saving water and electricity Riding a bicycle or using public transport Buying from local and organic farmers

At the government level:

Investing in renewable energy Strictly enforcing environmental laws Protecting green spaces in cities Harvesting water, afforestation, and implementing eco-friendly policies Education also plays an important role. Tree plantation, rainwater harvesting, and environmental education in schools are essential to inculcate sensitivity towards nature in children.

Ray of hope:

Even though we have messed up a lot, hope is still alive. During the COVID lockdown, the water quality of the Ganges River saw an improvement. Delhi’s air, which is often suffocating, became temporarily clean. These events show that nature has the amazing power to heal itself — if we give it a chance. Kenya’s “Green Belt Movement,” started by Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, planted millions of trees. Afforestation schemes in India, rewilding in Europe and urban greening are efforts in the right direction. Even businesses are seeing changes — sustainable packaging, green manufacturing and ethically sourcing raw materials are on the rise.

Conclusion:

Nature is not our enemy, but our oldest friend. Living in harmony with it is the key to achieving the goal of creating a better future for the world.