Indigenous and Local Knowledge
Local and indigenous knowledge systems are a precious source of wisdom which people tap into for creating solutions inspired by their interactions with nature, their culture, languages, and spirituality.
It refers to the understandings, skills and philosophies developed by societies with long histories of interaction with their natural surroundings. These unique ways of knowing are important facets of the world’s cultural diversity and provide a foundation for locally-appropriate sustainable development.
Discover UNESCO’s Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems programme (LINKS), which promotes local and indigenous knowledge and its inclusion in global environmental sciences and policy processes: https://en.unesco.org/links
Get inspired by UNESCO Green Citizens projects which valorize indigenous and local knowledge for sustainable development!
The Yawanawá Life Plan
The Yawanawá communities have established governance and a plan to protect their well-being in the Gregorio River indigenous reserve in the Brazilian Amazon.
Reforzando el conocimiento ancestral
In Panama, around the Darién National Park, local populations are disconnected from the world. A project has been devised by citizens to give the indigenous people access to information and to be able to defend their land rights.
Rise for Nature
The Rise for Nature project was initiated by citizens, volunteers of CCREAD-Cameroon. A holistic and integrated approach that ensures it is fully community-based.
Instituto Juruá
Rural communities have a central role in the conservation of biodiversity. Based on this conviction, ecologists and researchers formed Instituto Juruá for the Conservation of the Amazon.
Greenlandia
To incite action for the climate and re-establish the lost connection between people and nature, Vincent Hilaire set up the Greenlandia Project. Greenlandia, a citizen initiative built on three pillars of educational, scientific and documentary actions, explores humanity’s future through the testimonials of inhabitants of the Inuit settlement of Ittoqqortoormiit (Greenland).
Sustainable vegetable mushroom growing for Sustainable livelihood improvement
To break the cycle of poverty and ensure food security for villagers, Joséphine Nakakande and NGO Eco-Agric Uganda developed a simple yet innovative idea: use small spaces and locally available materials to create low-cost sustainable vegetable gardens.
Université des Colibris (Hummingbird University)
For the Colibris citizen’s movement, giving as many people as possible the knowledge to lead a greener way of life is essential for the ecological transition. To achieve this, the association set up the Université des Colibris (Hummingbird University).
Saathi
Saathi began in 2015, when its co-founders Kristin Kagetsu, Tarun Bothra and Grace Kane – graduates of MIT (US), Nirma University- came together on a mission to create fully eco-friendly, compostable sanitary napkins using locally sourced banana fiber. They were inspired by the idea of improving women’s access to sanitary pads in India.
Holau Vaka Taumako
Reconnecting with their ancestral knowledge and voyaging culture is essential for the inhabitants of Taumako. On this isolated Polynesian island, directly impacted by climate change, the elders set up the Holau Vaka Taumako Project to share their know-how between generations and with other islands in the South Pacific and Hawaiian regions.
Waru Fire Program
Martu people believe that preserving biodiversity in their country is intimately linked with ancestral practices. To protect their desert ecosystem, Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa (KJ) a Martu organisation decided to reinstate the pujiman fire regime in the Great Sandy Desert, Australia.
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