The connection between particularly vulnerable tribal groups and nature in the protected areas of Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh

This paper examines the evolving relationship between the Konda Reddis, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Andhra Pradesh’s Eastern Ghats, and their forest environment through a phenomenological lens. The study analyses how traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) manifests in livelihood practices, sacred landscapes and socio-cultural institutions while critically examining development intervention impacts documented since the 1993 International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) assessment. Through comprehensive field research across 30 Konda Reddi villages spanning January 2024 to January 2025, this study documents both continuities and disruptions in TEK systems. While earlier assessments highlighted positive outcomes from development interventions, contemporary findings reveal complex challenges including knowledge erosion, restricted forest access, and intergenerational transmission gaps. Despite maintaining sophisticated TEK encompassing over 200 plant species and 30+ traditional crop varieties, the Konda Reddis face significant pressures from modernisation, tourism expansion and changing forest governance regimes. The research identifies shifting dynamics between ecological conservation, modernisation pressures and tribal self-determination. Through narrative inquiry, ethnographic immersion and interpretive analysis, the paper contributes to academic scholarship and policy discourse by proposing integrated conservation approaches that recognise both the adaptive capacity of traditional knowledge systems and the need for supportive institutional frameworks enabling inclusive, knowledge-integrative conservation strategies.