Back to success stories

Indigenous voices

Ensuring indigenous local knowledge in adaptation and resilience building

70% Complete

To help reinforce the importance of indigenous local knowledge (ILK) in adaptation and resilience building, we are supporting efforts by indigenous scholars and organisations within and beyond the HKH through the Himalayan University Consortium’s (HUC) Thematic Working Groups.

Women indigenous scholars from HUC member universities are leading studies that bring indigenous voices to the fore of research. Two women scholars from the Royal University of Bhutan have co-led a field study on perceptions of cryosphere-related disasters and risks in Bhutan. From Sikkim University, India, a woman scholar from the indigenous Lepcha ethnic group has won a residential fellowship at the Harvard–Yenching Institute to study local, indigenous perceptions of the relationship between human and other-than-human beings.

At COP26, we helped highlight innovative methods in communicating indigenous knowledge for climate action at the local level through a session at the Third Capacity Building Hub. The HUC collaborated with the an Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and the Organización Nacional de Mujeres Indígenas Andinas y Amazónicas del Perú in organizing this session.

Two HUC members – Royal University of Bhutan and Hemvati Nandan Bahugun Garhwal University, India – are also part of IGES-led project promoting ILK for locally-led adaption in the Asia Pacific region. The Asia Pacific regional chapter of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters is also part of this ILK amplification project.

The report provides information on the status of gender mainstreaming and identifies good practices across the forestry, agriculture, energy, and water sectors

Ensuring indigenous local knowledge

Other stories

Bouncing back better

ICIMOD partner SABAH Nepal helps all-women team make the best of a crisis

Empowering women farmers through agricultural mechanisation

As men migrate to seek alternative livelihoods, women have been compelled to take on tasks formerly ...

Replication and upscaling in challenging mountain environments

Solar pump and water-lifting package of technologies solves irrigation problems

Knowledge exchange pay-offs with REDD+

In 2017, we published a manual – Developing Sub-National REDD+ Action Plans: A ...

A UIBN Gender Resource Group for Pakistan

Promoting gender-inclusive research, networking, policy making, and action on the water- and climate change- related issues

South–south learning in participatory forest management

Nepal’s experiences with community forestry could help Myanmar address deforestation and forest degradation

Action plan to reduce air pollution and improve air quality

Nepal government launches Air Quality Management Action Plan for Kathmandu Valley

Capacity building in using open-source software

Through trainings organised by our Cryosphere, Climate Services, and Himalayan University Consortium initiatives, we have introduced ...