The potential for combining indigenous and western knowledge in reducing vulnerability to environmental hazards in small island developing states

TLDR

Indigenous knowledge is increasingly recognized for disaster risk reduction, yet gaps remain in delivering appropriate strategies to target populations. The study proposes a framework for integrating indigenous and Western knowledge to reduce environmental hazard vulnerability among rural indigenous communities in SIDS. The authors review environmental impacts on SIDS indigenous communities and assess how indigenous knowledge enhances coping capacity. The authors conclude that combining indigenous and Western knowledge in a culturally compatible, sustainable way is essential to address vulnerability to environmental hazards. Keywords: Indigenous communities, environmental hazards, vulnerability, small island developing states, disaster risk reduction.

Abstract

Abstract Abstract The benefits of indigenous knowledge within disaster risk reduction are gradually being acknowledged and identified. However, despite this acknowledgement there continues to be a gap in reaching the right people with the correct strategies for disaster risk reduction. This paper identifies the need for a specific framework identifying how indigenous and western knowledge may be combined to mitigate against the intrinsic effects of environmental processes and therefore reduce the vulnerability of rural indigenous communities in small island developing states (SIDS) to environmental hazards. This involves a review of the impacts of environmental processes and their intrinsic effects upon rural indigenous communities in SIDS and how indigenous knowledge has contributed to their coping capacity. The paper concludes that the vulnerability of indigenous communities in SIDS to environmental hazards can only be addressed through the utilisation of both indigenous and Western knowledge in a culturally compatible and sustainable manner. Keywords: Indigenous communitiesEnvironmental hazardsVulnerabilitySmall island developing statesDisaster risk reduction