Many indigenous peoples and local communities make vital contributions to the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems. Many indigenous peoples and local communities also hold detailed indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) that can inform a national ecosystem assessment, including on status and trends of ecosystems and biodiversity, drivers and impacts of change, as well as management and policy options.
When working with ILK, a key goal is to ensure an equitable and respectful dialogue between knowledge systems (e.g., science and ILK), where the value of each knowledge system is recognized in its own right and where misrepresentation or misunderstanding of ILK is minimized. The Multiple Evidence Base Approach offers a model to help think this through for the stages of an assessment process.
