Overview

Introduction:

The diverse ecology derived from the silt deposition over a period of time gave rise to the landscapes of Divar. Originally an estuary divided the island which in the present day is under the Navelim-Goltim and Malar-Narao panchayat . The island's ecosystem consists of several components such as Khazan lands, bunds, and protecting mangroves along the geographical periphery. Khazan lands are commercially, environmentally, and socially significant for agriculture and aquaculture and thus are the island's two main economic sources. 

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The early settlers of Divar- the Gaunkharis settled on the contoured lands, and started cultivating rice . That's how the settlement grew and once they realized that the farming could be done on the lowland , a comunidade was formed to build bunds around the perimeter so as to avoid the influx of saline water. The formation of these bunds avoided flooding of paddy fields and the natural mangrove formation along the edge allowed agriculture and aquaculture to grow.

 

 What was the methodology?

The first step revolves around identifying an element on site which can be something physical, sensorial, a particular species which contributes to the formation of the environment . One follows this element throughout the day to observe changes and rhythms  at different times,  to interpret observations and information to seek inquiry. The next day, the observer interrogates the accumulated observations and identifies the patterns discovered. Simultaneously, engagement with the local communities and archival data adds a layer of negotiation between contemporary information and historical data resulting in a more detailed understanding of an element.

 

How to navigate the site:

Divar island is dis-connected from Old Goa on the south-east side, Ribandar, on the south-west side and Naroa on the north side, all by ferry. The island is accessible through ferry points which becomes the starting point for the three walks - Navelim, Goltim-Malar and Narao. The walks all ended at the Divar center observing different landscapes through different peripheries of the island.