Kuttanad

Kuttanad is a vast low-lying region spread across Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts in Kerala, known as the Rice Bowl of Kerala. It is one of the few places in the world where farming is done below sea level, with paddy fields reclaimed from Vembanad Lake. Characterized by backwaters, canals, rivers and dykes, it offers a distinctive agrarian landscape and backwater ecosystem.

Visitors can expect a flat, water-bound landscape of expansive paddy fields below sea level, interlinked by rivers, canals and backwaters of Vembanad Lake. The area features narrow bund roads, coconut groves, traditional villages, and houseboats and country canoes navigating waterways. Visitors can explore paddy fields, observe traditional farming and coir activities, take backwater cruises, and see birdlife and rural life along the waterways.

Kuttanad has a long history of reclamation of wetlands and kayal lands from Vembanad Lake for paddy cultivation, with systematic reclamation and below sea-level farming developed over centuries. Its unique farming system was recognized by the FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in 2013 for its sustainable below sea-level agricultural practices.

Kuttanad is culturally significant as the agrarian heartland of Kerala, sustaining traditional paddy cultivation, coir and fishing livelihoods. Its water-centric lifestyle, festivals, cuisine based on rice and freshwater fish, and traditional practices of farming below sea level reflect a distinctive backwater agrarian culture.