Integrating local and scientific knowledge: The need for decolonising knowledge for conservation and natural resource management
Integrating Indigenous and local knowledge in conservation and natural resource management (NRM) initiatives is necessary to achieve sustainability, equity, and responsiveness to local realities and needs. Knowledge integration is the starting point for converging different knowledge systems and ena...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2023-11-01
|
| Series: | Heliyon |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023089934 |
| _version_ | 1797429797300731904 |
|---|---|
| author | Malaika P. Yanou Mirjam A.F. Ros-Tonen James Reed Kaala Moombe Terry Sunderland |
| author_facet | Malaika P. Yanou Mirjam A.F. Ros-Tonen James Reed Kaala Moombe Terry Sunderland |
| author_sort | Malaika P. Yanou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Integrating Indigenous and local knowledge in conservation and natural resource management (NRM) initiatives is necessary to achieve sustainability, equity, and responsiveness to local realities and needs. Knowledge integration is the starting point for converging different knowledge systems and enabling knowledge co-production. This process is also a key prerequisite towards decolonising the research process. However, power imbalances may perpetuate dominant forms of knowledge over others, obstruct knowledge integration, and eventually cause the loss of knowledge of the marginal and less powerful knowledge holders. Despite increasing interest in knowledge integration for conservation, NRM, and landscape governance, documentation of integration processes remains fragmented and somewhat scarce. This semi-systematic literature review contributes to filling this gap by synthesising methods, procedures, opportunities, and challenges regarding integrating and decolonising knowledge for conservation and NRM in Southern Africa. The findings demonstrate that despite an increasing number of studies seeking to integrate Indigenous and local knowledge and scientific knowledge relevant to conservation and NRM, methods, procedures, and opportunities are poorly and vaguely documented, and challenges and colonial legacies are often overlooked. Documentation, valuing Indigenous and local knowledge, addressing power relations, and collaboration across knowledge systems are missing steps towards efficient knowledge integration. The paper concludes that there is a need for further research and relevant policies. These should address methods and implications for equitable knowledge integration processes and move beyond knowledge sharing and mutual learning towards decolonising knowledge for conservation and NRM. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:18:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eecb1ad6f8a64ad4aef10c6064199ec1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:18:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-eecb1ad6f8a64ad4aef10c6064199ec12023-12-02T07:04:14ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-11-01911e21785Integrating local and scientific knowledge: The need for decolonising knowledge for conservation and natural resource managementMalaika P. Yanou0Mirjam A.F. Ros-Tonen1James Reed2Kaala Moombe3Terry Sunderland4Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia; Corresponding author. Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR), University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018, WV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsCenter for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia; School of International Development, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, UKCenter for International Forestry Research, Bogor, IndonesiaCenter for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaIntegrating Indigenous and local knowledge in conservation and natural resource management (NRM) initiatives is necessary to achieve sustainability, equity, and responsiveness to local realities and needs. Knowledge integration is the starting point for converging different knowledge systems and enabling knowledge co-production. This process is also a key prerequisite towards decolonising the research process. However, power imbalances may perpetuate dominant forms of knowledge over others, obstruct knowledge integration, and eventually cause the loss of knowledge of the marginal and less powerful knowledge holders. Despite increasing interest in knowledge integration for conservation, NRM, and landscape governance, documentation of integration processes remains fragmented and somewhat scarce. This semi-systematic literature review contributes to filling this gap by synthesising methods, procedures, opportunities, and challenges regarding integrating and decolonising knowledge for conservation and NRM in Southern Africa. The findings demonstrate that despite an increasing number of studies seeking to integrate Indigenous and local knowledge and scientific knowledge relevant to conservation and NRM, methods, procedures, and opportunities are poorly and vaguely documented, and challenges and colonial legacies are often overlooked. Documentation, valuing Indigenous and local knowledge, addressing power relations, and collaboration across knowledge systems are missing steps towards efficient knowledge integration. The paper concludes that there is a need for further research and relevant policies. These should address methods and implications for equitable knowledge integration processes and move beyond knowledge sharing and mutual learning towards decolonising knowledge for conservation and NRM.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023089934Knowledge integrationKnowledge co-productionIndigenous and local knowledgeDecolonising knowledgePolitics of knowledgeConservation |
| spellingShingle | Malaika P. Yanou Mirjam A.F. Ros-Tonen James Reed Kaala Moombe Terry Sunderland Integrating local and scientific knowledge: The need for decolonising knowledge for conservation and natural resource management Heliyon Knowledge integration Knowledge co-production Indigenous and local knowledge Decolonising knowledge Politics of knowledge Conservation |
| title | Integrating local and scientific knowledge: The need for decolonising knowledge for conservation and natural resource management |
| title_full | Integrating local and scientific knowledge: The need for decolonising knowledge for conservation and natural resource management |
| title_fullStr | Integrating local and scientific knowledge: The need for decolonising knowledge for conservation and natural resource management |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integrating local and scientific knowledge: The need for decolonising knowledge for conservation and natural resource management |
| title_short | Integrating local and scientific knowledge: The need for decolonising knowledge for conservation and natural resource management |
| title_sort | integrating local and scientific knowledge the need for decolonising knowledge for conservation and natural resource management |
| topic | Knowledge integration Knowledge co-production Indigenous and local knowledge Decolonising knowledge Politics of knowledge Conservation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023089934 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT malaikapyanou integratinglocalandscientificknowledgetheneedfordecolonisingknowledgeforconservationandnaturalresourcemanagement AT mirjamafrostonen integratinglocalandscientificknowledgetheneedfordecolonisingknowledgeforconservationandnaturalresourcemanagement AT jamesreed integratinglocalandscientificknowledgetheneedfordecolonisingknowledgeforconservationandnaturalresourcemanagement AT kaalamoombe integratinglocalandscientificknowledgetheneedfordecolonisingknowledgeforconservationandnaturalresourcemanagement AT terrysunderland integratinglocalandscientificknowledgetheneedfordecolonisingknowledgeforconservationandnaturalresourcemanagement |