Panchabuta Conservation Foundation – India

Project brief

The work of the Panchabhuta Conservation Foundation and its partners is to define a compelling vision of the future potential of the Western Ghats and enable the area to be a focus for delivery of these aspirations.

This vision must engage, inspire and drive interventions that deliver a paradigm shift and enable human activities to be more in harmony with nature. It’s a vision that extends beyond the Western Ghats to explore a way to address here what others around the world are struggling to resolve: unsustainable growth.

Project aims

The Foundations hub in Kagal Beach is to be used as a demonstration site for local and international visitors to see what can be done using Permaculture principles and sustainability practices to demonstrate solutions for renewable energy, control of energy and sustainable food production.

The aim is to apply Permaculture design principles to build an outdoor classroom demonstration site at the hub and an accompanying Organic Wealth Centre in the community to maximize the waste streams from the natural environment and community to provide food security, clean water, sanitation, and energy and revenue opportunities for the local community.

Project outcomes

Building of the outdoor classroom has begun with the retrofit of an existing septic holding tank into a grey and black water worm farm treatment system, further water purification treatment is provided via a gravel garden in which a variety of plants grow, and overflow is directed into a tropical food forest.

As part of the Organic Wealth Centre an efficient charcoal production system, “Adams Retort”, has been built and is operated by local community members. The community now has an alternative to the previous charcoal production methods that were detrimental to personal health and the environment.

Project highlight

In December 2014 ‘Gems of The Western Ghats’ was published, a collaboration of Foundation members and partners used to raise awareness of this significant but fragile eco-system; I contributed a chapter on “Biocycle’.

The first Permaculture Design course and additional workshops are to be held in January 2015 at the Hub.