Engaging Local Knowledge in Biodiversity Research: Experiences from Large Inter- and Transdisciplinary Projects

Abstract

The management of biodiversity represents a research topic that needs to involve not only several (sub-) disciplines from the natural sciences but, in particular, also the social sciences and humanities. Furthermore, over the last couple of years, the need for the integration of other kinds of knowledge (experience based or indigenous knowledge) is increasingly acknowledged. For instance, the incorporation of such knowledge is indispensable for place-based approaches to sustainable land management, which require that the specific ecological and social context is addressed. However, desirable as it may be, such an engagement of the holders of tacit knowledge is not easy to achieve. It demands reconciling well-established scientific procedural standards with the implicit or explicit criteria of relevance that apply in civil society — a process that typically causes severe tensions and comes up against both habitual as well as institutional constraints. The difficulty of managing such tensions is amplified particularly in large integrated projects and represents a major challenge to project management. At the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research — UFZ, several integrated research projects have been conducted over the past years in which experience has been gained with these specific challenges. This paper presents some of the lessons learned from large integrated projects, with an emphasis on project design and management structure. At the centre of the present contribution are experiences gained in the coordination and management of LEGATO (LEGATO stands for Land-use intensity and Ecological EnGineering — Assessment Tools for risks and Opportunities in irrigated rice based production systems, see www.legato-project.net), an ongoing, large-scale, inter- and transdisciplinary research project dealing with the management of irrigated rice landscapes in Southeast Asia. In this project, local expertise on traditional production systems is absolutely crucial but needs to be integrated with natural and social science research to identify future-proof land management systems.

Panorama Da Sustentabilidade Em Gestão De Projetos

“…Nessa categoria incluem-se os trabalhos que abordam a gestão de projetos como ciência, a inclusão da sustentabilidade como vantagem competitiva em projetos e organizações (MARCELINO-SADABA; GONZALEZ-JAEN; PEREZ-EZCURDIA, 2015;SANCHEZ, 2015), inclusão do conhecimento de comunidade locais (local expertise) ou tradicionais para a gestão de projetos (GÖRG et al, 2014) (2014) que trata de parcerias entre universidades para a concepção e produção de sustentabilidade urbana.…”

Doing what with whom? Stakeholder analysis in a large transdisciplinary research project in South-East Asia

“…Engagement Two-way communication and long-term trust building was encouraged between researchers and other stakeholders wherever possible, to facilitate knowledge exchange. The limited duration of the project and the roles attributed to it made expectation management and an early-on defined and communicated exit strategy a necessity (Görg et al 2014).…”

“…Within a transdisciplinary project design, the co-development of research questions and the subsequent co-production of knowledge not only across scientific disciplines but also between science and non-science is decisive (Görg et al 2014). This in turn requires identifying and activating stakeholders as knowledge bearers in co-decision processes.…”

Interlinking ecosystem services and Ostrom’s framework through orientation in sustainability research

“…However, ES researchers have realized that sustainable solutions cannot be based solely on system knowledge, but that there is high relevance for the inclusion of norms, values, and subject perspectives related to ES demand (Görg et al 2014, Jordan and Russel 2014. Specifically, the ES concept attributes values to biophysical, socio-cultural, and monetary value domains (Fig.…”