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Published on: March 31, 2023
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Placing diverse knowledge systems at the core of transformative climate research
Ben Orlove1, Pasang Sherpa2, Neil Dawson3
1School of International and Public Affairs and Columbia Climate School, Columbia University, 420 West 118th Street, New York, NY, 10027, USA. bso5@columbia.edu.
Ambio
|April 27, 2023
Summary
Climate change solutions require decolonizing research, integrating Indigenous and local knowledge. True partnership respects diverse knowledge systems for transformative change and decolonial futures.
Area of Science:
- Environmental social science
- Decolonial studies
- Indigenous knowledge systems
Background:
- Climate change is often framed as a technical issue, overlooking its roots in colonialism.
- Existing research paradigms may marginalize or misrepresent Indigenous and local knowledge systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To advocate for a decolonial approach in climate change solutions-based research.
- To propose frameworks for equitable collaboration between scientific expertise and diverse knowledge systems.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of colonialism's role in climate change.
- Development of principles for inter-knowledge system partnerships.
- Recommendations for governance mechanisms at multiple scales.
Main Results:
- Decolonizing research is essential for effective climate action.
- Respecting knowledge systems as indivisible cultural wholes is crucial for partnership.
- Instruments based on consent, autonomy, and justice can guide collaborations.
Conclusions:
- Transformative change requires decolonizing research and respecting diverse knowledge systems.
- Equitable partnerships foster decolonial futures for human and non-human relations.
- Proposed instruments facilitate just collaborations across knowledge systems.
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