ECOLOGY. Going back to nature for good health.

Byline: Saul Rosenberg

ECOLOGY Going back to nature for good health Ecovillages can be a viable alternative for communal health, wellbeing and modern sustainable living in SA, writes THE ecovillage phenomenon is growing rapidly in SA as it is in other parts of the world, as an alternative to the stresses and strains of modern urban lifestyles. Often seen as Utopian ideals of the privileged, such communities are not for everyone. But just what, if any, are the potential benefits for collective health and wellbeing in these communities, and do they offer a real and viable alternative for healthy and sustainable living in SA? Historically, the idea of forming an intentional community away from conventional, regulated society is not new. Communal living ideologies were popular in the 1960s and '70s, and the kibbutz system in Israel provides numerous well-established examples of intentional communities.

What differentiates the concept of an ecovillage, say the experts, is that it has arisen out of the need to address unprecedented environmental issues, such as global warming and climate change, and economic inequalities and associated health issues the world now faces.

Specialists say an ecovillage is often composed of people who have chosen an alternative to centralised …