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| One of the clearly stated intentions of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is to bring both “western scientific”
and “indigenous and local” knowledge systems within synthetic global, regional,
and thematic assessments. A major challenge will be how to use, and
quality-assure, information derived from different knowledge systems. We test
how indigenous and local knowledge on natural resources in Miskito and
Mayangna communities in Nicaragua, validated through focus groups with
community members, compares with information collected on line transects
by trained scientists. Both provide comparable data on natural resource abundance,
but focus groups are eight times cheaper. Such approaches could increase
the amount and geographical scope of information available for assessments
at all levels, while simultaneously empowering indigenous and local
communities who generally have limited engagement in such processes. | |
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