ITKs on Soil & Water Conservation for Strengthening Alternate Land Use Systems

Abstract

Indigenous knowledge represents the accumulated experience, wisdom and know-how unique to a given culture, society, and/or community (http://www.nuffic.nl/ik-pages/index.html). It stands apart as a distinctive body of knowledge, which has evolved over many generations in a particular ecosystem. It defines the social and natural environments, is based within its own philosophic and cognitive system, and includes first-hand working knowledge in such fields as: agronomy (polyculture, including natural pest control, microclimate management, and soil regeneration); taxonomy; natural resource management (including wildlife and agroforestry systems); aquaculture (including certain water purification technologies); animal husbandry; meteorology; human and veterinary medicine; plant, animal and human nutrition; mathematics; architecture; communications; social and consensus management systems; childhood development and education; and integrated ecology. Early research often presented indigenous knowledge systems as static paradigms, but more recent studies have revealed them to be dynamic and highly adaptive, with change driven by circumstantial demand for sharp observation, creativity and experimentation. When holders encounter new types of knowledge and skills — from the dominant or other indigenous systems — they always seek to test it and incorporate whatever is useful into their own knowledge and practice base. Local systems vary in response to different roles, age and status within a given group, and provide the basis for local decision-making. They are thus useful for total systems management. The role of indigenous knowledge in strengthening the development process was not discussed seriously until the early '80s, first by academics, then by development and development research agencies. Field investigations have since shown that local knowledge systems are by nature efficient, effective, and intensely practical, and field testing has further demonstrated that they are a valid form of science – though user-derived, rather than scientist-derived. Awareness is growing that the use of indigenous knowledge in development initiatives could bring long-term benefits, richly complementing and enhancing the contributions of modern inventions and development efforts.