Indigenous and local knowledge in National Ecosystem Assessments
National ecosystem assessments provide an important platform for the scientific community and Indigenous and local knowledge holders to exchange, cross-fertilize and co-generate knowledge through a multiple evidence base approach that connects knowledge systems with transparency.
The BES-Net ILK Support Unit led by UNESCO works closely with the national ecosystem assessment coordination team and authors, and the NEA Initiative at UNEP-WCMC, to cohesively incorporate Indigenous and local knowledge to ensure the national ecosystem assessments are informed by the best available knowledge.
A national ecosystem assessment is a nationally-driven process to develop an up-to-date, comprehensive and critical synthesis of knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem services and their interlinkages to people. The NEA Initiative supports countries to tailor the process developed by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) to carry out ecosystem assessments. The aim is to adapt national ecosystem assessments to specific national needs and circumstances, empowering greater support for decision-making.
- Stewardship
Many Indigenous Peoples and local communities are steward of the environment and often have strong customary governance systems and ethical and cultural principles. They manage an estimated 15% of the global forests, and Indigenous Peoples alone own and/or manage at least 25% of the global land, and approximately 35% of all remaining terrestrial areas with low human intervention.
- Policy relevance
Meaningful engagement of Indigenous Peoples and local communities ensures assessment policy recommendations are compatible with Indigenous livelihoods and lifestyle.
- Valuable knowledge
Indigenous Peoples and local communities hold in-depth and diverse knowledge of their environment, and often have distinct philosophies, worldviews, ethical and spiritual systems that can provide different perspectives to environmental challenges and solutions, thereby increasing the robustness of the assessment.
The multiple evidence base (MEB) approach proposes parallel inter-linked approaches whereby Indigenous, local and scientific knowledge systems are viewed to generate different manifestations of knowledge, which can generate new insights and innovations through complementarities. MEB emphasizes that evaluation of knowledge occurs primarily within rather than across knowledge systems. MEB creates an enriched assessment through triangulation, joint assessment of knowledge, and knowledge co-production.
Types of technical support
1. Guidance Materials on Indigenous and local knowledge
2. Coaching and capacity building
Coaching, capacity building and supporting authors to understand Indigenous and local knowledge related to ecosystems, and coherently weave Indigenous and local knowledge throughout the assessment process.
Training Workshop and Webinars：
- Indigenous and local knowledge lessons learned from IPBES experiences (March 2022).
- Multiple evidence base approach (November 2021).
- Working with Indigenous and local knowledge in the national ecosystem assessment process (September 2021).
- Inception workshop on working with Indigenous and local knowledge in the national ecosystem assessment (February 2021).
3. Dialogue workshops with knowledge holders
The BES-Net ILK Support Unit facilitates dialogues and knowledge exchange platforms between assessment authors and Indigenous and local knowledge holders. Some of the dialogue workshops organized include scoping workshops, framing workshops, and Indigenous and local knowledge dialogue workshops and review workshops depending on the stage of the assessment.
4. Participatory research
The BES-Net ILK Support Unit acknowledges that much of Indigenous and local knowledge is undocumented and less understood. The Support Unit supports country partners to conduct participatory Indigenous and local knowledge research to enrich the assessment and fill knowledge gaps and promote co-production of knowledge.
