Traditional Knowledge and Its Role in Biodiversity Conservation

I am grateful for the financial contributions provided by the Canadian Indigenous of Health Research (CIHR), Institute of Indigenous Peoples Health and Gender and Health, with First Nations Health Authority, the Canadian Nurses Foundation, and the University of Victoria.

Traditional knowledge about fire and its effects held by indigenous people, who are connected to specific landscapes, holds promise for informing contemporary fire and fuels management strategies and augmenting knowledge and information derived from western science. In practice, however, inadequate means to organize and communicate this traditional knowledge with scientists and managers can limit its consideration in decisions, requiring novel approaches to interdisciplinary and cross-cultural communication and collaboration. We propose that Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) is one platform for the assemblage and communication of traditional knowledge vital to fire and fuels management, while preserving linkages to broader cultural contexts. We provide summaries of four preliminary case studies in the Intermountain West of North America to illustrate different potential applications of a PGIS tool in this context and describe some remaining challenges. Management and Policy Implications: Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) can offer a powerful approach for enhancing current decisionmaking by allowing for the integration of traditional and scientific knowledge systems with spatial environmental data in an interactive participatory process. Integrated data sets can allow traditional and scientific knowledge experts to share, explore, manage, analyze, and interpret multidimensional data in a common spatial context to develop more informed management decisions. Such combined data sets could provide a more comprehensive assessment of fire-related ecological change than is currently used in decisionmaking and enhance inclusion of effects on local resource utility values and areas of cultural significance. The use of a PGIS interface creates opportunities for traditional knowledge holders to share information and potential prescriptions while maintaining confidentiality. Knowledge integration efforts using PGIS as an organizational tool would help to bridge the communication gap that commonly exists between scientists, managers, and traditional knowledge holders as ecosystems continue to be altered through processes of land management and climate change.

Malawi, like the majority of African countries, is experiencing land degradation as a result of climate change and unsustainable farming methods. Land degradation is a worldwide problem, but Africa is the worst affected, with 75% of arable land already degraded. Malawi is primarily an agricultural country, with 11 million people practicing small-scale subsistence farming. Given the hilly terrain, forests, and tough pastures, only one-third of the county is considered cultivable. However, agriculture accounts for 30% of Malawi’s GDP, exporting 80% of its agricultural produce. Small-scale farmers are essential producers, farming 5.3 million hectares of land and accounting for over 70% of Malawi’s food consumption. Unfortunately, as climate change and economic demands increase, so does land degradation. Even though indigenous knowledge has been used for generations to adapt to changing environments, there is an unmistakable distinction between scientific and indigenous knowledge, with scientific being seen as far superior. Several studies have revealed that depending entirely on one knowledge system is insufficient for effectively addressing environmental concerns. Thus, there is a need for more comparisons that allow for a complementary application of the two knowledge systems rather than their contradiction. In this work, we identify indigenous indicators of land degradation and land management practices utilized by Malawian farmers, and we investigate how indigenous and scientific knowledge systems might be combined to adapt and address the issue of land degradation swiftly. To do this, 100 semi-structured interviews were conducted with farmers in five villages. Atlas-ti software was used to do thematic content analysis on the dataset. Our findings show farmers’ coping techniques are still based on IK and motivated by experiential learning from earlier climatic crises. Though most farmers know scientific land management practices, current adaption strategies rely on expensive resources and are inappropriate for indigenous farmers. The study investigates various ways scientific and indigenous knowledge could be integrated to enhance climate change adaptation against land degradation. These encompass developing indigenous indicator baselines, including new measures for measuring soil fertility, and more effective and energy-efficient irrigation technologies.

Traditional knowledge is vital for sustainability of natural resources including medicinal plants Biodiversity conservation can be learnt from the context specific local knowledge and intergenerational transmission of knowledge skills and strategies concern for well being of future generations Vrikshayurveda deals with various tree and plant species and ensure the healthy growth and productivity The ancient text consists of about different plant species including herbs shrubs and trees The different chapters of Vrikshayurveda deal with agri horticulture home gardening intercropping and storage etc This paper intends to understand the traditional knowledge on biodiversity particularly in the light of contemporary research on traditional and formal knowledge systems and demonstrate the value of traditional knowledge for biodiversity conservation with special reference to medicinal plants

The last 60 years have witnessed advanced technological innovation for disaster risk reduction (DRR) with the invention of high-resolution satellite imagery, digital cartography and modern engineering building techniques to high-yielding agricultural production. However, none have been highly satisfying in lessening the impact of disasters. The significant factor for the limited success of modern scientific society is that it views the world from a temporal perspective where humans are believed to be an active agent in modifying every natural possibility into opportunity. The very composite environmental system is simplified whilst extracting resources, resulting in resource depletion and environmental degradation, consequently opening the door for disaster. Technocratic science must recognise the need for a relational or holistic approach rather than believing in reductionist approaches alone whilst dealing with natural calamities. In this context, the knowledge of traditional societies is important to fill up the existing gaps created by the modern society. Traditional knowledge has different sets of ingredients to foster the development of the relational or holistic approach as it involves, interacts and interconnects humans, non-humans (animals and plants) and nature together, setting a perfect balance for sustainable development and DRR. It has vast undocumented observational data of changing natural phenomena, and in today’s scenario of climate change and uncertainty, it can create a path for reliable adaptation measures from climate-induced disasters. Thus, a holistic approach is needed for comprehensive DRR measures where both scientific and traditional knowledge systems can work together. The main purpose of this article was to explore the effective ingredients of traditional knowledge in DRR and how this age-old wisdom can be offered a hand to its integration into and collaboration with scientific research and management for DRR. To fulfil the objectives, a theoretical desk study approach was followed by identifying relevant studies, highlighting traditional knowledge in DRR from empirical and grey literatures, archive materials, biblical stories and so on. This research highlights some of the good practices of traditional knowledge in DRR and the possible path of collaboration of two knowledge systems in DRR.

Biorights is a neo-economic conservation paradigm that has its origin in rights of commons, indigenous and local communities’ knowledge, innovations and practices that are collectively held and inextricably linked to traditional resources and territories, local economies, the diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems, cultural and spiritual values, and customary laws that shape the socio-ecological context. Rights of commons on their traditional knowledge are generally not protected by existing laws and regulations though they provide economic sustainability as an incentive, whereas traditional inventions are essentially motivated by subsistence requirements. Communities must preserve ownership over their traditional knowledge and bio-resources in order to prevent others from unwisely exploiting or pilfering them, while still taking advantage of market possibilities. This chapter is the first step in perception building towards place-based natural remedies safeguarding traditional knowledge and bio-cultural systems with customary laws, rights, values, and practices overarching traditional knowledge and biodiversity with indigenous and local populations. Customary rules governing access to and benefit sharing of traditional resources and knowledge can be integrated with ‘modern’ participative and scientific techniques based on the holistic notion of cohesive intersectional legacy. The goals of the strategies are to enlighten national and international policy on traditional knowledge to make simpler global policy to enact effectively.

Indigenous knowledge has been widely used as a basis for local decision-making in various sectors and passed down through generations. Indonesia with its diverse ecosystems has diverse local knowledge that become potential to be utilized and developed in knowledge management. One of the potential indigenous knowledge in Indonesia is indigenous medicine knowledge. Unfortunately, indigenous knowledge is established and transmitted in body of knowledge, practices, and believes that mostly not available in the codified form (tacit knowledge). Therefore, this study aims to develop conceptual model as basis knowledge representation so that the indigenous knowledge can be stated clearly and explicitly in knowledge management. The result of this research is conceptual model in ontology representation that has been evaluated qualitatively for indigenous medicine knowledge

The scale of climate change put indigenous people at higher risk than the others. Nonetheless, due to their intimate knowledge of their land, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) held by the indigenous peoples may be the key to combating climate change. This article aims to explain the role that TEK plays in adapting to climate change. Document review included grey literature alongside peer-reviewed literature and project websites related to indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation. The findings show that TEK not only helps indigenous people cope with environmental and climate pressures, but the knowledge system fosters resilience of socio-ecological systems.Keywords: climate change adaptation; traditional knowledge; traditional ecological knowledge; resilienceeISSN: 2398-4287 © 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v5i13.2059

Tanzania is one of the African countries endowed with diverse rangeland’s biological resources hosting 6 out of 25 globally known biodiversity hotspots. Despite, government efforts on biodiversity conservation, the pressures on rangelands’ biodiversity utilization are growing in line with increasing human population. With little recognition of contribution of local knowledge in biodiversity conservation, the current paper reviewed the potential of available indigenous knowledge in Tanzania and challenges limiting adoption of this vital knowledge on rangeland’s biodiversity conservation. This review established that, the country has rich indigenous knowledge potential for rangeland management and biodiversity conservation. Traditional enclosures and pastoral mobility are among the important indigenous practices used for rehabilitation of degraded rangelands and conservation of fragile ecosystems. The coexistence of local communities with complex ecosystems offers them excellent experiences on rangelands’ biodiversity conservation. However, increasingly loss of rangelands’ biodiversity in the country is attributed to ignoring the contribution of local communities which are rich in indigenous knowledge and skills on rangelands management. Among of the challenges hindering the adoption and involvement of indigenous knowledge to conservation are; scientific bias toward pastoral communities, loss of local expertise, poor knowledge inheritance systems, poverty, conflicts and emergence of pandemic diseases. For effective and sustainable utilisation of indigenous knowledge, the following are recommended; fully engagement of local communities in conservation process, empowering local communities to reduce poverty and conflicts, mainstreaming the indigenous knowledge to conservation education, emphasising on livelihoods diversification to reduce reliance on biological resources and promoting studies to document existing indigenous knowledge.

We present the outcomes of a program designed to engage primary school students with both Indigenous knowledge and biodiversity conservation, through the lens of “Totemic” species. The program provided resources for genuine engagement with Traditional Owners, and for the coordinating teachers to dedicate time to curriculum development and delivery. The material was embedded within a cross‐school core curriculum topic (biology), presenting both Indigenous and Western knowledge in parallel. Students' understanding of ecology and conservation increased significantly post‐program, as did their cultural awareness and appreciation of traditional knowledge. Care for the totemic species was also shown to increase and enthusiasm for this approach to teaching science was expressed by students. The co‐benefits of this program include creating habitat for threatened species, improvements in the health and wellbeing of students through engagement with biodiversity and the potential for ecosystem services such as cooling of the school grounds. Effective ways of embedding cultural awareness and Indigenous knowledge into the Australian curriculum are urgently needed and it is our hope that this program provides evidence of effective ways of embedding these knowledges moving forward.

Indigenous knowledge can function as a basis of innovation in agriculture because it is not only culturally accepted, but often also environmentally adaptive. The debates and misunderstandings regarding the relations between Indigenous and scientific knowledge are transforming into a trend to integrate all knowledge to deal with complex issues, such as climate change. In this study we explore the understandings of the Tharu people of their farming system in relation to adaptation and mitigation of climate change, based on mixed methods design using both ethnographic analysis of their specific agriculture practices from participant observation and a survey of 229 households in the western Tarai of Nepal. Among our findings is the fit of the traditional agricultural calendar of the Tharu with the labor regimen of agricultural seasons. We found that conservation tillage-oriented agricultural practices, such as relay cropping, including zero-tillage, remain important in the farming system. Although this practice is decreasing, particularly due to the low yield as compared to the conventional tillage system, relay sowing and zero-tillage in the lowlands and uplands remain important for timely crop sowing. Similarly, mixed cropping is prevalent, particularly among small holders, for subsistence-based farming, in part due to higher yield than sole cropping. We conclude that Indigenous knowledge regarding climate and agriculture practices assists making informed decisions for climate-resilient and low emission agriculture. Although some traditional climate-resilient agriculture practices may yield lower profit than those derived from scientific knowledge/methods, the Tharu have therefore embraced “hybrid knowledge”—a combination of Indigenous and scientific knowledge, technology and practice—to balance increased yield and profit maximization with concurrent decreased vulnerability to extreme weather events. We argue that it is not useful to make firm distinctions among traditional, Indigenous and local knowledge in the age of hybridity. This hybridity is evident in the complementarity of the use of improved varieties and scientific agricultural practices for the major grains and the continuing use of landraces for minor crops such as lentils, peas and mustard. However, further research on the sustainable productivity of such practices is required before their widespread dissemination.

Climate change puts indigenous people at greater risk than others. Nevertheless, because of their intimate knowledge of their land, indigenous peoples' traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) could be the answer to fighting climate change. This paper aims to explain the role that TEK plays in responding to climate change. Document analysis included grey literature as well as peer-reviewed literature and project websites linked to indigenous climate change adaptation knowledge. The findings show that TEK not only helps indigenous people cope with environmental and climate pressures, but also promotes socio-ecological system resilience.
 Keywords: climate change adaptation; traditional knowledge; traditional ecological knowledge; resilience
 eISSN 2398-4295 ©2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers (AMER); Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians / Africans / Arabians (ABRA); Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies (cE-Bs), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ajbes.v5i19.194

Integrating scientific and local knowledge to inform risk-based management approaches for climate adaptation

Tribal communities in West Bengal possess a rich repository of traditional knowledge, encompassing indigenous practices, folklore, and environmental wisdom that have been sustained across generations. However, the integration of this traditional knowledge into modern educational systems remains a challenge, leaving many tribal populations marginalized. This qualitative secondary study examines the potential of a blended educational approach that integrates traditional knowledge systems with formal modern education to empower tribal communities in West Bengal. Drawing upon secondary data from government reports, academic publications, and case studies, the paper highlights the cultural significance of traditional knowledge among West Bengal’s tribal groups, including the Santals, Oraons, and Mundas. It critically explores the shortcomings of the current education framework, which often disregards indigenous perspectives, leading to a sense of alienation among tribal students. The study further investigates innovative educational programs that have successfully combined traditional practices with modern curricula, focusing on their socio-cultural and economic impacts. The findings underscore that incorporating traditional knowledge into educational strategies fosters cultural pride, strengthens community identity, and enhances the learning experience of tribal students. This approach also aids in preserving indigenous practices while equipping tribal youth with the skills needed for broader societal integration. The paper argues that a collaborative effort involving policymakers, educators, and tribal communities is essential to design context-specific educational models that respect and sustain tribal heritage. By emphasizing the importance of blending traditional and modern knowledge systems, this study advocates for a culturally inclusive and empowering education framework as a means to address the marginalization of tribal communities in West Bengal. Such a framework must not only preserve the rich cultural heritage of tribal communities but also ensure that their traditional wisdom is recognized as a valuable resource in modern society. This requires educational policies that are flexible, participatory, and context-specific, incorporating the voices and needs of tribal communities.

The relevance of indigenous knowledge system (IKS) to sustainable development of any country is no longer in doubt. Therefore, any nations that do not adapt its traditional indigenous knowledge system into its western system of education are likely to have a retarded development. This is because there is always a conflict between traditional knowledge systems with the western knowledge system. This paper had to argued that there is need to decolonized science curricula into indigenous knowledge system especially Secondary School Biology for sustainable development in order to compliment scientific concepts, making learning more comprehensive and relatable. The paper discusses the nature and place of Secondary School Biology curriculum in Nigeria Science Education, challenging the myth of objectivity in Biological Science, The need for indigenous knowledge in Secondary School Biology curriculum, pedagogical benefits and practical approaches to indigenous knowledge, challenges and ethical considerations of decolonizing Biology curricula into indigenous knowledge, implication of decolonizing Biology curriculum into indigenous knowledge in Nigeria science education and conclusion.