The proposed GIAHS site, “Gandhamardan Hills: The Sustainable Indigenous Agroforestry Model of Odisha,” situated in the Bargarh and Balangir districts of Western Odisha (20.85°N, 82.85°E), represents one of India’s most ecologically
and culturally significant natural agroforestry systems. Unlike plantation based agroforestry models noted in global GIAHS recognitions (e.g., Salak Agroforestry Bali 2024; Cocoa Agroforestry–São Tomé 2024; Amazonian Chakra–Ecuador
2023), the Gandhamardan system is entirely community managed, forest based, and sustained through uninterrupted indigenous knowledge systems