Indigenous Knowledge: The Way to Sustainable Development.

Attended and read a paper on INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE: THE WAY TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT? COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES at the 1st International Conference on "Energy, Environment & Sustainable Development for Growing Economies (ESSD 2009)".

ABSTRACT:
The ‘Top Down’ intervention approaches to development have been highly critiqued in the recent past by many academics let to a growing interest in ‘Indigenous Knowledge’. The way to sustainable development and usage of the remaining natural resources are now increasingly being sort and utilised with the consent and understanding of ‘Indigenous People’s Knowledge’ around the world with little or no damage to the natural world. Scientists and Development practitioners have realized that in order to have sustainability within development projects, the knowledge of the local people cannot be ignored.
The indigenous people of the world, whom earlier the colonists and later the big Pharmaceutical & Multinational Oil Corporations (MNC’s) of the West considered ‘Savages’ and hindrance to development are now increasingly being acknowledged and considered a key resource in maximizing the enhancement of knowledge because of their understanding of the natural flora & fauna and the environment.
This paper with the help of secondary data looks at the emergence and importance of indigenous knowledge and highlights with the help of examples that indeed the future of sustainable development is through the recognition and adoption of Indigenous Knowledge and its practices in current development practices.

Conference organized by:
Institute of Environmental Engineering & Managment, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro Pakistan in collaboration with HEC and Sindh EPA.