Hello and welcome. Scientific knowledge is a knowledge system that has been developed and consolidated in the last 150 years or so. That is based on a set of rules known as the scientific method that has been developed for us to understand and interact with our natural environment surrounding us. The scientific method and process starts with making an observation and then making predictions or hypothesis about these observations and then testing this hypothesis. And this generates communicative knowledge that little bilateral contributes to our advancing our knowledge. In contrast to what we call local ecological knowledge or also called traditional knowledge or indigenous knowledge systems is the knowledge practices and beliefs held by indigenous peoples and local communities across the world. That have been developed through there very long term interaction with their environment. Do these different nature of these different knowledge systems, they also have very different characteristics and here will present some of these most important contrasts between these knowledge systems. So first of all, local ecological knowledge is considered to be a holistic or integrated knowledge system. While scientific knowledge tends to be more reductionist, it tends to chop reality into smaller, more analyze herbal subsets. Local ecological knowledge also incorporates both physical but also metaphysical elements of the world because local knowledge systems incorporate also believes in some symbolic dimensions. While scientific knowledge, on the other hand, is very much limited to the observations in the physical world. In terms of how it is transmitted, these different knowledge systems are also quite different. Local ecological knowledge is based on oral transmission and frequently involves storytelling while for scientific knowledge, the way in which knowledge is recorded and transmitted it's mainly done in written format. Also, local ecological knowledge tends to be very much placed based and context specific, so it's applicable to the reality and context exactly where these local populations inhabit. While scientific knowledge on its hand, it aims to understand larger scale patterns or the search of universal truths. So looking at local scale patterns so that they can this could be upscaled to more larger scales. Local ecological knowledge is very much empirical. It has been developed through learning by doing while scientific knowledge involves much more controlled experimentations. And last but not least, the local ecological knowledge is very much focused on practical applications of this knowledge. While scientific knowledge also aims to understand the mechanisms between the patterns that are observed in the natural world. In spite these differences between these knowledge systems, there are also some commonalities between them. So in terms of their organizing principles, both of these knowledge systems, they recognize that the universe is unified that there are connections between living and non living entities that mutually influence each other. Also, although they are both robust and well rooted bodies of knowledge, they are also dynamic, so they're both subjected to constant modification through time. Also, both of these knowledge systems, they have kind of a common set of values that includes, for example, honesty, inquisitiveness, perseverance. So they're both honest and legitimate attempts to understand processes and phenomena in our environment in our world. Although they involve very different methods and approaches, they do have some similar skills and procedures as well, because both of them are based on the recognition of patterns in the natural world. In the empirical observation in natural settings so that we can make inferences and predictions on the future. And finally, both of these knowledge systems, local ecological knowledge and scientific knowledge they also have common goals. They aim to be able to understand patterns in the plants and animals and ecosystems, also properties of objects and materials so that we can also make inferences and predictions about what's going to happen in the future. So in spite their differences, there are also some common ground between these different knowledge systems. It has been increasingly recognized that attempts to promote cross fertilization between other systems can actually enhance our understanding of complex phenomena and complex systems. One of them is called the multiple evidence based approach, which is based on the premise that different knowledge systems, all of them can generate useful and valid knowledge. And by exploring the complementarity between these knowledge systems, we can have a more holistic and integrated perception of complex phenomena such as climate change, for example. And this is what is called in this framework as this enriched picture. So based on the multiple evidence based approach, it doesn't only explore where the different knowledge systems converge. But it actually explore all of its synergies, complementarities and contradictions between these knowledge systems, aiming to build this enriched picture. The idea is that by building this enriched picture we can have an enhanced understanding of environmental conditions of environmental changes and also cause the relationships and social ecological systems. And this is important because it can widen the scope, the depth or the value of a given assessment of a given complex problem. And it can also be the starting point for a future knowledge generation even within knowledge systems, but also across knowledge systems either through cross fertilization or co-production of knowledge. Also, this enriched picture can provide the basis for identifying desirable future trajectories to the future. So the academic literature contains several examples where these cross fertilization between knowledge systems have actually led to enhance understanding of complex phenomenon. So in this example here conducted, it's a study conducted by Tomosoli collaborators with local communities in the north of Canada. They have studied the local ecological knowledge of local populations on wildlife, specifically on two species caribou and musk oxen. And they have shown that local knowledge can provide very new and valuable information on the health and dynamics of these populations. So local ecological knowledge can be a very important resource here to understand these populations and also to design effective management strategies targeting these wildlife populations. Another example, based on the work of client and collaborators with herders in the Tibetan Plateau, they have focused on the local ecological knowledge and environmental change in this region. And they have shown that local herders in this region, they have a very common and widespread understanding that summers are starting later in this region. And this has contributed to an active scientific debate in which different meteorological data and scientific information pointed to apparent contradicting results. And so in this case, bringing in the local knowledge of herders that have historically inhabited and manage this region. This actually contributed to this enriched picture of to understand this complex system, which is the effect of climate change on these high altitude areas in the Tibetan Plateau. So if you take home messages, local and scientific knowledge, they have their intrinsic characteristics. They are essentially different, but there's also some common grounds between these two knowledge systems. And by looking for ways to bridge this knowledge systems to looking for these cross fertilization ways between knowledge system, this can enhance our understanding of environmental conditions and change, and particularly of climate change. And there are plenty of examples across the globe where these recognitions of complementarities across knowledge systems has actually improved our understanding of complex phenomena. And also has improved the way we manage ecosystems and biodiversity. Thank you very much for your attention. [MUSIC]
