Indigenous Knowledge of the Ocean

Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS)

Indigenous Knowledge of the Ocean

The LINKS programme supports its Member States in mobilizing Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ knowledge systems of the marine environment.

Traditional holistic knowledge systems are indeed key for understanding how our Ocean planet is changing, including its marine biodiversity and ecosystems, and their stressors, including climate change.

With the ocean changing rapidly due to the impacts of climate change and loss of biodiversity, urgent action is needed to protect marine biodiversity, boost early warning systems and enhance climate adaptation.

in navigation, technical knowledge of waves, tides and currents, conservation of coastal and marine habitats, biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as cultural values, governance systems, and the spirit of resilience, towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 14 on Life Below Water. These sites are of combined ecological, economic and cultural significance to the ocean peoples. Women's knowledge, as well as knowledge transmission to the young generation, are of capital importance, together with elders’ memory of historical events, which is key to elucidating past and continuing ecological changes and trends that affect nearshore and marine resources. Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ past and current observations are key knowledge sources of ecological and social aspects impacting their ocean environment and economy.

The Ocean Decade and Indigenous Knowledge

LINKS and IOC are developing the Framework agreement with Indigenous Peoples for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (the Ocean Decade), to advance national capacity on Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) related to the ocean, as well as to contribute to setting an enabling environment for the integration of ILK holders in the Decade collaborative Centers and Communities of Practice, in cooperation with key regional stakeholders, such as the Pacific Community (SPC), as well as Member States.

The children of Bajo tribe in Wakatobi Island

Bastian AS / Shutterstock.com

Marine Spatial Planning and Indigenous Knowledge

Indigenous and local knowledge holders have developed sustainable ways of managing marine resources based on this knowledge, which has proven to be effective in maintaining the ecological balance of their territories. Recognizing and incorporating ILK into marine spatial planning can significantly enhance its effectiveness and ensure a balance between conservation goals, economic activities, and cultural preservation for a resilient ocean.

Ancestral Voyaging Knowledge

91�鶹��Ʒ�� worked with different knowledge holders on papers that provide a summary of the state of Ancestral Voyaging Knowledge and the initiatives of the Pacific Voyaging Societies to promote and transmit knowledge between generations, cooperate with professional conservation and scientists.

Maori double-hull canoe sailing in Auckland Waitemata Harbour

ChameleonsEye / Shutterstock.com

Photo of a group of Polynesian sailors in an ancestral boat in the Duff Islands

The Canoe is the People

91�鶹��Ʒ�� concentrated on a range of issues related to the use and knowledge of the ocean, wayfaring, transhumance and navigation. The main work in this area is The Canoe is the People project, which promotes Indigenous Pacific knowledge of the ocean environment including traditional open ocean wayfaring.

Ancestral voyaging knowledge (AVK) in Oceania

This project emphasises the inherent value of Indigenous knowledge in the Pacific and indicates opportunities for transdisciplinary cooperation with science, and outlines opportunities for national and regional enabling policy environments that can support both intergenerational transmission of this knowledge and its application to major developmental challenges faced by the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other Pacific nations.