The role and development of Indigenous or

Local knowledge

A review of a series of presentations, documents d publications

used during recent discussions in 2009 and at the recent Global
Platform meeting in Geneva

Collated and presented by

Garry de la Pomerai
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

Summary
This session will review the role and importance within capacity building of
establishing and developing indigenous or local knowledge within all
communities to generate an maintain ownership and responsibility creating a
sustainable and proactive community approach for emergency preparedness
and response, minimising vulnerabilities against hardship, crisis and disaster.
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

Abstract:
Since evolution indigenous knowledge has been the means of community sustainability and survival. It has
provided the community with ownership, responsibility and self destiny. Indigenous knowledge is gained
through experience; be it cultural development, economic growth, crisis or disaster. It can be developed
through sharing with other communities and cultures. However, it can be lost if it is not embraced between
generations via education, storytelling and counselling, incorporating Parents and Grandparents as teachers
within the formal education. During recent centuries Indigenous knowledge has diminished and in some cases
totally dissolved for a variety of reasons including; the introduction of modern construction materials and
international techniques; populations becoming more transient with the youth seeking improved lifestyles and
better education away from their communities; plus the general economic migration from the countryside to
the towns and cities. Consequently within vulnerable communities and indeed modern communities, without
indigenous knowledge, communities lose responsibility for proactive strategies during crisis or in preparation
for multiple known hazards, making reliance upon centralised governance essential for sustainability and
survival. Maybe it is time that indigenous knowledge is once again encouraged to be developed and
disseminated within communities, throughout the world, including developed and economically developing
regions, teaching people the need to become aware of their environments and consequences of actions,
learning the ‘early warning’ signs of growing vulnerability, understanding risk and preparing their communities
for crisis and potential disaster, taking on responsibility and ownership for their own destiny , becoming less
reliant upon purely centralised systems in developing community emergency preparedness and personal
response strategies. This session will review the role and importance of establishing and developing existing
indigenous knowledge through capacity building within all communities to generate ownership and
responsibility creating a sustainable and proactive community approach for emergency preparedness and
response, minimising vulnerabilities against hardship, crisis and disaster.
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

Additional Note from Dr. Ben Wisner:

“Much of what was “traditional” may not be applicable in a changing climate.
Maybe the approach should be CRITICAL CO-PRODUCTION of knowledge in
which grand and great grand parents, archives and histories are taken as
sources of warning signs and practices that are then SUBJECTED TO CRITICAL
DISCUSSION by the current generation and outside specialists. Likewise, the
offering of outside specialists should be subjected to critical discussion and
scrutiny.”
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

Introduction:
taken from the
Global Platform meeting Special Event (SE 21)
Indigenous Knowledge for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Diverse communities in hazard prone areas around the world have traditionally learnt to cope with
and reduce the risks of natural disasters through the indigenous knowledge they have inherited
from the time tested experiences of generations. Contextualized within the local geo‐climatic
conditions, natural resources and social and cultural practices, indigenous knowledge has been an
integral component of human and social capital of the communities, which is often not recognized.
On the contrary, it is under continuous threats of becoming extinct by the onslaught of the so‐
called modern and quick fix solutions. It is therefore important to document, learn, revive and
replicate wherever possible such knowledge and practices and further synergize this with modern
scientific knowledge, especially in the context of promoting community based disaster risk
management (CBDRM) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) strategies.
Based on the case studies drawn from South Asia and other regions, the side‐event, besides
building awareness and sharing the experiences, aims at highlighting the potential of indigenous
knowledge for disaster risk reduction and intends to discuss how the community driven practices
on indigenous knowledge could be integrated in the governmental policies and receive priority for
the stakeholders at different levels.
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

Objectives of the Global platform Session

•Discuss the various aspects of indigenous knowledge in relation to disaster risk
reduction at
community level;
•Examine the methodology, tools and techniques to document indigenous knowledge in
multi‐hazard scenarios;
•Identify the suitable strategies and practices promoting indigenous knowledge for
community based disaster risk reduction;
•Develop insights on linking the indigenous knowledge practices to the disaster risk
reduction policies programmes and priorities by the stakeholders;
•Promote regional cooperation to facilitate indigenous knowledge as a means for
disaster risk reduction.
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

Definitions of Indigenous Knowledge / Local Knowledge

Written by Rajib Shaw, Anshu Sharma and Yukiko Takeuchi
While the perception of indigenous knowledge varies, the following are some selected popular definitions of
indigenous knowledge:
• Indigenous knowledge is defined as “... the unique, traditional, local knowledge existing within and developed
around the specific conditions of women and men indigenous to a particular geographic area ...” (Grenier, 1998)
• Indigenous knowledge is “the information base for a society, which facilitates communication and decision-
making. Indigenous information systems are dynamic, and are continually influenced by internal creativity and
experimentation as well as by contact with external systems” (Flavier, 1995)
• Indigenous knowledge is “the knowledge that people in a given community has developed over time, and
continues to develop. It is based on experience, often tested over centuries of use, adapted to local culture and
environment, dynamic and changing.” (IIRR, 1996)
• “Indigenous knowledge, also referred to as traditional or local knowledge, refers to the large body of knowledge
and skills that has been developed outside the formal educational system. IK is embedded in culture and is unique to
a given location or society. IK is an important part of the lives of the poor. It is the basis for decision making of
communities in food security, human and animal health, education and natural resource management” (WB, 2003)
Thus, indigenous knowledge is characterized by the following:
• Locally bound, indigenous to a specific area and community
• Culture and context specific
• Non-formal knowledge
• Orally transmitted and generally not documented
• Dynamic and based on innovation, adaptation, and experimentation
• Closely related to survival and subsistence for many people worldwide
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

Background to the Special Event held at the Global Platform, Second Session Geneva June09
Indigenous Knowledge for Disaster Risk Reduction
Diverse communities in hazard prone areas around the world have traditionally learnt to cope with
and reduce the risks of natural disasters through the indigenous knowledge they have inherited from
the time tested experiences of generations. Contextualized within the local geo‐climatic conditions,
natural resources and social and cultural practices, indigenous knowledge has been an integral
component of human and social capital of the communities, which is often not recognized. On the
contrary, it is under continuous threats of becoming extinct by the onslaught of the so‐called modern
and quick fix solutions. It is therefore important to document, learn, revive and replicate wherever
possible such knowledge and practices and further synergize this with modern scientific knowledge,
especially in the context of promoting community based disaster risk management (CBDRM) and
Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) strategies.
Based on the case studies drawn from South Asia and other regions, the side‐event, besides building
awareness and sharing the experiences, aims at highlighting the potential of indigenous knowledge for
disaster risk reduction and intends to discuss how the community driven practices on indigenous
knowledge could be integrated in the governmental policies and receive priority for the stakeholders
at different levels.
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge
Statement taken from:
The Indigenous Knowledge Policy Note
discussed at the in the International Workshop in Kyoto in July 2008
While the recognition and incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge in Disaster Risk Reduction efforts has been
dismally insufficient, there is
compelling evidence that Indigenous Knowledge has the potential to provide solutions for reducing disasters at
many levels. Recognized in a
scientific approach, such knowledge unravels a vast domain of approaches and tools that can be applied in the
current context with appropriate
adaptation and adjustments.
The Disaster Reduction Hyperbase initiative (http://drh.edm.bosai.go.jp/) has given due importance to Indigenous
Knowledge, and has elaborated the concept of Transferable Indigenous Knowledge (Transferable Indigenous
Knowledge), as the traditional art of disaster reduction that is indigenous to specific region(s) but having potential to
be applied to other regions and having time-tested reliability.
In addition, The Disaster Reduction Hyperbase identifies the following criteria for Transferable Indigenous
Knowledge:
• To be Understandable to users
• To be Implementable (usable, feasible)
• Originated within communities, based on local needs, and specific to culture and context
(including the environment and economy)
• Provides core knowledge with flexibility for local adaptation for implementation
• Uses local knowledge and skills, and materials based on local ecology
• Has been proven to be time tested and useful in disasters
• Is applied or applicable in other communities or Generations
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

A briefing overview written by Dr. Ben Wisner

addressing three questions:

• What is local knowledge (LK)?

• Why is it important for disaster risk reduction (DRR)?
• How does one engage with LK and mobilize it for DRR?
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

1. What is Local Knowledge

Local knowledge comprises the totality of perceptions, beliefs, understandings, and
skills that one or more members of a community uses or potentially uses to
communicate about and manipulate the world. “World” in this sense is made up of the
physical and built environment and also the social, economic and political environment
that affect production and consumption at the local scale.
That is a formal definition for the sake of clarity. In simpler terms, it is what people
living in an urban or rural locality know that is useful to them in their lives.
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge
Within a community, Ten important features of local knowledge are critical to their use in DRR
1. Local knowledge, like all knowledge, is social. Just as there can be no private language that only
one person understands, there can be no knowledge that completely separate from what others
know and have known in the past.
2. Local knowledge is not entirely “traditional” (passed on by generations). It is more.
3. Local knowledge may opportunistically incorporate versions of outside specialist knowledge. For
instance, weather or climate forecasts listened to on the radio may be interpreted and modified
according to local weather signs and past experience.
4. Given that mobility is important to human beings and that family members may migrate and
send or bring knowledge home as well as money and goods, the tendency to mix or hybridize
knowledge is increasing.
5. For all these reasons, the notion of “indigenous” or “traditional” knowledge is quite limited and
only part of the picture. It is better to refer to the broader notion of “local” knowledge.
6. knowledge is not uniformly distributed. Not everyone has access to secret knowledge or
knowledge associated with local skills such as building, finding water, or midwifery. Occupations
and special skills come with sub-sets of local knowledge that may not be widely distributed in a
locality.
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

7. Local knowledge is gendered and age graded, and moreover it varies according to the
standpoints of people in different (and to some extent dynamic and changeable) life situations:
for example, local knowledge of people living with disabilities, knowledge of people with
chronic health problems, knowledge of people who constitute an ethnic or caste minority in a
community, etc.
8. Local knowledge may be a source of power and status. For example, in Sierra Leone, rice
farmers have been known to compete with each other in breeding new varieties of rice, some
simply for the beauty of plant. This is a source of praise and prestige.
9. Local knowledge may not appear to Western trained or oriented specialists to have any physical
or biological basis or efficacy. This is because local knowledge often bridges physical and social
functions and realities. Thus some women in Africa boil stones during a hunger period. “But
stones have no nutritional value”, the outside observer would object. However, anthropologist,
Paul Richards, was told that by executing this practice, the women signal a stage at which the
community must consider the hunger serious and activate coping measures. The community is
also reassured by the ritual which reminds them that they have survived in the past and that
control and unity are still possible.
10. Local knowledge may not be explicitly spoken about by those who have it. It is sometimes tacit
or implicit in their practices and acts – for instance, where on a slope with different soil
characteristics to plant different plants. Western trained or oriented experts find the idea that
knowledge is tacit hard to accept, yet it can be made explicit through patient discussion.
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

2. Why is Local Knowledge Important to DRR?

Playing the devil’s advocate, one might reject the question. Science and technology can
deliver perfectly adequate hazard maps, resilient structures, crops and livestock that are
hardy and that have whatever characteristic is needed: drought resistance, salt
tolerance, what have you. Science and technology from the outside can do all this and
provide warnings as well. All that is needed is delivery!
Ah, that magical word: “delivery”.
Two global studies completed for the Global Platform[1] agree. Both the ISDR’s Global
Risk Assessment 2009 (GAR)[2] and the GNDR’s Views from the Front Line (VFL)[3] came
up with the same quantitative and qualitative result: the international and national
scale knowledge and the practices based on that knowledge is not “trickling down” and
penetrating local communities at all fast enough to achieve Hyogo Framework of Action
(HFA)[4] goals.
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

This is not the place to discuss in detail why knowledge based diffusion of innovation is
proceeding so slowly. There are many factors highlighted by GAR and VFL. Amongst
these one might single out in the context of knowledge management the following:
•Top down diffusion of knowledge and practice require fine tuning to local conditions.
Diffusion “by the book” seldom works.
•At the local scale people experience threats in a more holistic way that specialists who
design practices focused on one hazard or another. Poverty, violence, climate change,
and many different natural and other hazards confront people at the scale of 1:1 where
they live, work, raise children, celebrate, and suffer. Local efforts to deal with one of
these challenges generally involve dealing with the others. Fine tuning takes such
experience into account.
•There is sometimes a lack of trust between communities and governments or outside/
non-local institutions. Trust and partnership must be built; it cannot be assumed.
Without trust and mutual respect, the exchange of knowledges and production of a
useful hybrid of outside and local knowledge is not possible.
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

So, rejecting the position of the devil’s advocate, I think the answer is that local
knowledge important for DRR because it is the lens through which people perceive and
understand the world and work on the world. All innovation including risk reduction will
have to be carried out at the end of the day by people in places. But apart from this
sociological and geographical reality, there is even a more important reason why local
knowledge is important.
People are constantly coping with threats. They share knowledge with neighbors, may
draw knowledge in from far away, boil it down and work out ways to apply it locally.
Local communities are workshops of knowledge production, not just museums of
tradition. Thus for the outside specialist, the village, hamlet, town and city neighborhood
are as much sources of new ideas to be tested, refined, and shared as is the outside
specialists skill a source for local people. There is a broad and deep partnership in
knowledge production for DRR possible in the world that is very seldom actually
achieved.
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

3. How Does One Engage with LK and Mobilize it for DRR?

My listeners may be thinking now that as usual another crazy academic is spouting off
about utopias and the best of all possible worlds. Isn’t that “broad and deep
partnership” going to require millions of anthropologists to live for a year or more in
millions of human settlements? Well, in a world wide economic crisis, why not include
such ambitious and ethnographic adventure in economic stimulus plans?
Well, I am only kidding. That’s not necessary. In many countries around the world the
GAR and VFL have shown that civil society organizations are working with local
governments and with communities in rapid, efficient, and effective ways. Participatory
action research (PAR) is the overall term for a suite of tools and methods that are widely
known today and can result in community generated hazard maps, vulnerability
assessments, and action plans. For example, the ProVention Consortium among other
institutions has available on its website a tool kit for community risk assessment [1], as
does the IFRC,[2] and many others.
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

But all the tools in the world will not help if the relationship between communities and
government is not based on trust and mutual respect. PAR can backfire and end up
demobilizing local people if there seem to be promises of action during the assessment
and mapping, but there is no follow up. Also, PAR itself has to be done carefully so that
the vital, complementary knowledge of women, youth, children, and men are collected.
Inclusiveness of the process is important, and trust within communities is as important as
trust between community and outsiders.
The potential is there, but having spent five years since developing institutions, laws, and
policies in support of the HFA at the national level, now is the time to push ahead in a
massive and global way from the other end: serious support has to be given to putting
the known tools and methods to work at local level so that local knowledge and outside
specialist knowledge come together in ways that bring safety to all.

[1]
UN-ISDR Global Platform 2009 for Disaster Reduction; Geneva, June 2009; see http://www.preventionweb.net/globalplatform/2009/ .
[2
Global Risk Assessment 2009 http://www.preventionweb.net/english/hyogo/gar/report/index.php?id=9413 .
[3]
Clouds but Little Rain http://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/publications/v.php?id=9822 .
(4]
HFA refers to the Hyogo Framework of Action, the detailed work plan created at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe, Hyogo
Prefecture, Japan in 2005 and signed by 168 governments. See http://www.unisdr.org/eng/hfa/hfa.htm .
(5]
www.proventionconsortium.org/?pageid=39 .
[6]
http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/preparing/preparedness-tools/vca.asp Dr. Ben Wisner
DESTIN, London School of Economics;
Aon Benfield Hazard Research Centre, University College London;
Environmental Studies Program, Oberlin College, USA
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

Briefing on
Transferable Indigenous Knowledge (TIK): Education Process and Policy
written by RajibShaw

RajibShaw presentation~.ppt
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

Briefing on
Indigenous and Scientific Knowledge for DRR
written by Jessica Mercer

Jessica presentation~GPJune2009.ppt

JessicaBriefing_Notes_on_Indigenous_Knowledge_and_DR
R_Briefing_Note[1].doc
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

Briefing on Indigenous Knowledge for Disaster Risk Reduction in China

Brief Introduction and some Examples
written by WeihuaFANG1, XiaoningZHANG2

WeighuaFaung Chinapresentation~2009.China.pdf
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

How does IK play a role within early warning

Annie George
NGO Coordination and Resource Centre
Nagapattinam
Dear all,
 
We did a Study for OXFAM America on Understanding the increase in capacities of local leadership for DRR post- tsunami and stumbled across some very
interesting observations. The most striking thing was that indigenous capacities do exist but atrophy in inverse proportion to the external support systems
available. In areas which are not generally accessed by formal systems like Govt/ NGOs, especially where there is a cohesive community with strong traditional
governance mechanisms, like tribal communities, they have evolved their own indigenous methods of EWS, tracking the oncoming floods, rescue and
rehabilitation!!!

In one flood-prone tribal community living in a flood prone area, in Cudallore, Tamil Nadu, they had constituted small groups of youth who would monitor the level
of the rising water in the river with notches on a stick. When it started reaching their pre- marked danger points, the youth would inform the rest of the community
who would then gather whatever they had to and leave for higher areas. They had a mechanism of tying ropes across the river so that they could hold on to that
while crossing the flooded river and not get lost in the flow or lose their direction. They also had a method of collecting some money per month per family which
then went into meeting their needs while they were without livelihood support during the floods. They have managed to successfully face frequent flooding this
way. The Tribal Leader has the final say in all their activities and this single voice od control is also useful during such emergency situations. The concept of a
disaster management fund was seen common across both tribal communities studied.

On studying two slightly more developed villages, with similar vulnerabilities but different support structures, we found to our surprise that the village closer to a
semi- urban area where they could move during calamities, was ill prepared as far as coping mechanisms were concerned and nonchalantly replied that they
move to the neighboring place and live on Government led relief systems till the floods recede. On the other had, the other village which did not have such
support systems had their escape routes planned out and the traditional governance systems taking more responsibilities to safeguard their constituency.

This led us to feel that in our haste to set up DRR systems, we do not pay attention to the existing traditional systems and practices, thereby not only eroding
their knowledge and capacities, but also leaving them more vulnerable without our continued hand-holding support.

NGOs working in DRR should make it a point to understand, respect and build upon traditional systems and practices and existing governance structures,
before attempting something that could be totally alien to their style of life.
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

The role of IK as a resource within a National DR Strategy

Indigenous Knowledge for

Disaster Risk Reduction:
Good Practices and Lessons Learned
from Experiences in the Asia-Pacific Region
UN ISDR publication

..\Indigenous docs\ISDR Indigenous_Knowledge-DRR.pdf

 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

The role of IK as a resource within a National DR Strategy

Community examples
“ENDOWED WISDOM: KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE AND
COPING WITH DISASTERS IN BANGLADESH”

The experience of sustaining recurrent disaster impacts and the survival capacities of the local
communities are by far the basic strengths of disaster management in Bangladesh– one of the
most hazard prone countries of the world. Local communities are on the forefronts as both the
immediate disaster victims as well as the first line of responders during any such emergency
situations. Eventually, people have gained ample experience of dealing with disasters and are
indeed optimist enough to find opportunity in every difficult situation they encounter. Local
communities have accumulated over the centuries enormous indigenous knowledge on how to
sustainably utilize their natural resources engaging a variety of innovations to deal with natural
disaster. Community people’s experience, knowledge base and response practices regarding
disasters provide the subject matter of the book under review.
..\Indigenous docs\IK BangladeshSummary_of_the_book[1].doc
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

IK within Construction design and build

As examples :
Research by Randolph Langenbach

..\Indigenous docs\s-UNESCOPoster1-DDV_7(usa).jpg

..\Indigenous docs\s-UNESCOPoster2-TAQv_7(usa).jpg
 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

Presentation by
Dijllali Benouar

USTHB, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Algeria

 The role and development of indigenous knowledge

Final Q & A session

Summary and close

thankyou

Collated and presented by

Garry de la Pomerai
The role and development of indigenous knowledge