Traditional or ancestral knowledge and technological innovation, for the preservation of ecosystems: an exploration (part I).

https://www.socialgreentechconsulting.com/

By: Diego Orozco, SGTC manager.

"Miss María, Embera Chamí (a traditional indigenous community in West Colombia), walks along the banks of the Atrato River every morning to sow achiote seeds in flood-prone areas. This traditional crop not only provides food and natural coloring, but also strengthens the banks of the river, preventing erosion and contributing to the health of the ecosystem."

The traditional communities that inhabit the Atrato River and its jungle environment have been ancestral guardians of this vital ecosystem. Their knowledge and practices have been fundamental for the preservation of the natural and cultural environment of the region. Their deep understanding of natural cycles, biodiversity and the relationships between living beings and their environment, transmitted from generation to generation through stories, rituals and daily practices, are part of their culture and traditions, key to making of environmental policies.

On the other hand, the sustainable management of resources, very particular to the indigenous culture, has allowed the development of production and consumption systems that minimize the environmental impact such as rotational agriculture, selective fishing and the collection of non-timber forest products, important elements when designing innovation strategies and programs. The territory also has sacred areas protected by the communities, places free of any human intervention, contributing to the conservation of biodiversity that should be identified and integrated into ethnodevelopment plans.

It is possible that repeated observation of the natural environment allows many communities to develop traditional systems to predict natural events such as floods and droughts, fundamental knowledge for the design of preventive measures and adaptation to climate changes.

Consequently, the combination of ancestral knowledge and technological innovation is key to generating sustainable solutions, appropriated by society and effective for the conservation of the Atrato River and the development of a circular economy, so necessary in fragile and strategic natural environments.