This article first appear in Issue 9 of our digital magazineCURIOUS .
Jungle living can be treacherous , and ifThe Never Ending Storytaught us anything it ’s that horses and wet floors do n’t go well together . In the jungle of Meghalaya in Northeast India , the Indigenous Khasi and Jaintia tribal communities have come up with an disingenuous solution to aim around by manipulate trees to forge living root word bridges .
Known locally as theJingkieng Jri , each nosepiece represents ten of hard human British Labour Party that sees tree routes wangle to grow over bamboo scaffolding . The roots of rubber tree ( Ficus elastica ) are teased out to make the bridges , which are implausibly stiff , being able to hold around 50 human race and even people on horseback .
In 2022 , the Jingkieng Jri were added to UNESCO ’s “ tentative list ” mark the first footfall towards give the living root bridgework considered for World Heritage Status . UNESCO celebrated the skill that goes into making each bridge , describe them as a “ fundamental concordance between humans and nature ” .
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The ingenious and sustainable answer to base has subsequently connected over 75 remote villages in one of the wettest regions on Earth . Meghalaya is nursing home to the village of Mawsynram , said to be the world ’s rainiest place . To master the threat posed by swelling river in monsoon conditions , the Indigenous tribal communities make the living etymon bridges as a way of life of safely getting around .
The habit of tooth root inosculation blends living material to make lasting bridges that can tolerate the turbulent weather condition conditions Meghalaya enjoys and that other human - made structures might tumble under . As living structures , any damage the bridge circuit incur can be restore and actually go through the bridge grow stronger over clock time .
Research has shown the noteworthy diversity that goes into create Jingkieng Jri , with different approaches being employed to make ladders , platforms , tower , and even erosion / landslide bar structures . And to top it all off , the rubber tree also provide waterproofing for local communities as they release latex .
“ Besides playing a decisive socio - economic use within each village , Ficus - based Living structures also contribute to the ecology through forest and riparian restoration,”UNESCOsaid . “ The Indigenous community , including traditional farmers and hunters , continue to use and nurture these structures , reinforce the singular spirit of their ancestors . ”
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