Traditional knowledge for biodiversity and people

Across the world, traditional knowledge is being increasingly recognized and respected for its importance in biodiversity conservation, in understanding the potential impacts of development, and in contributing to sustainable development.

Reindeer husbandry represents the cultural, economic, and spiritual foundation for many Indigenous Peoples across the Arctic. Integrating the traditional knowledge of reindeer herders, which has developed from experience gained over several hundred years and which is adapted to the local environment, to more conventional western-based knowledge systems for reindeer husbandry is crucial in order to reduce the vulnerability of reindeer husbandry to impacts

of climate change and industrial development. Documenting such traditional knowledge and communicating this to oil and gas developers, mainstream societies, and the national authorities is vital4

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The Reindeer Herding Vulnerability Network Study (EALÁT), an Arctic Council-endorsed project that examines reindeer pastoralists’ vulnerability, resilience, and ability to adapt to climate change, is an important initiative. It documents reindeer herders’ traditional knowledge to adapt to environmental variability, and place traditional knowledge on an equal footing with scientific knowledge to reduce the vulnerability of reindeer husbandry to the effects of climate change23

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RELEVANCE OF MULTI-LATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS

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