Integration of Indigenous and Local Knowledge in Policy and Practice of Nature-based Solutions in China: Progress and Highlights

Abstract

China promotes nature-based solutions (NbS) as key approaches to addressing climate change, ecosystem damage, and biodiversity loss. However, indigenous and local knowledge (ILK), which is recognized by international scholars as an essential element of successful NbS, has not been thoroughly studied in the Chinese context. By conducting a comprehensive review of Chinese central governmental policies and semi-structured interviews with typical cases, this study finds out diversified sources of ILK and five pathways of ILK integration, including education, supervision, participation, knowledge preservation, and knowledge adoption. An increasing emphasis on community engagement has been driven by central policies such as the ecological civilization, carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. From a practical perspective, consistent core ideas of ILK exist in selected typical Chinese cases and studies in other countries, namely co-existence and reciprocity with nature. While supportive central policies can set the scene, ILK integration could not be realized without local governmental endorsement, context-based implementation, and long-term multi-stakeholder participation. Furthermore, this study also figures out a potential deficiency in terms of realizing effective ILK integration in mainstream and conventional practices, which can be further investigated by future studies.

Aligning Gross National Happiness, Sustainable Development Goals, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge: A Path to Holistic Well-being

“…The importance of TEK informing conservation and sustainable development initiatives has come to light more and more in recent years (Finn et al, 2017;Saylor et al, 2017). To incorporate TEK into environmental management plans, biodiversity conservation initiatives, and climate change adaptation strategies, governments, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations are progressively attempting to partner with indigenous and local communities (Haq et al, 2023;Rasmussen, 2023;Sinthumule, 2023;Yu & Mu, 2023;Lemi, 2019;Wyllie de Echeverria & Thornton, 2019). Policymakers and practitioners may address complex environmental and socioeconomic concerns and advance more equitable and sustainable futures by recognizing and honoring traditional knowledge, or TEK.…”