Mathez-Stiefel, Sarah-Lan (May 2014). Local environmental knowledge: a key input for the sustainable development of Andean mountain communities (Unpublished). In: World Mountain Forum. Cusco, Peru. 22.05.-24.05.2014.
Local knowledge is crucial to both human development and environmental conservation. This is especially the case in mountain regions, where a combination of remoteness, harsh climatic conditions, rich cultural heritage, and high biological diversity has led to the development of complex local environmental knowledge systems. In the Andes for instance, rural populations mainly rely on their own environmental knowledge to ensure their food security and health. Recent studies conducted within Quechua communities in Peru and Bolivia showed that this knowledge was both persistent and dynamic, and that it responded to socio-economic and environmental changes through cultural resistance and adaptation. As this paper argues, combining local knowledge and so-called scientific knowledge – especially in development projects – can lead to innovative solutions to the socio-environmental challenges facing mountain communities in our globalized world. Based on experiences from the Andes, this paper will provide concrete recommendations to policymakers and practitioners for integrating local knowledge into development and natural resource management initiatives.
Item Type: |
Conference or Workshop Item (Speech) |
|---|---|
Division/Institute: |
10 Strategic Research Centers > Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) |
UniBE Contributor: |
Mathez-Stiefel, Sarah-Lan |
Subjects: |
500 Science > 570 Life sciences; biology |
Language: |
English |
Submitter: |
Stephan Schmidt |
Date Deposited: |
10 Apr 2015 14:09 |
Last Modified: |
16 Feb 2023 23:22 |
URI: |
https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/63723 |
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