Local knowledge utilization and sustainable rural development in the 21st Century (original) (raw)
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The role of indigenous knowledge in sustainable rural economic development
Today, the formal knowledge transmitted through educational institutions to the community is particularly supported by the government, which is also very roper and correct. However, efforts to develop local skills and knowledge have been neglected, while in rural communities, such knowledge has a higher degree of climate and cultural originality than formal knowledge. Based on previous studies, to increase the results obtained from implementing the policies, the ones included and affected by those policies need to have the opportunity to comment, and they should be encouraged to work collaboratively. Therefore, by understanding the importance of experience and highly valuable and tacit knowledge of the villagers, in dealing with unfamiliar problems, a basis for decision-makings in order to achieve sustainable economic development can be found to be used as a supplement to formal knowledge. Then, through the synergy created, we can contribute to improving the quality level of policies effectiveness and the villagers 'welfare. In this paper, we have tried to explore the role of indigenous knowledge in sustainable rural development.
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Farmer knowledge and experience with natural resource management is emerging as a powerful tool when combined with research and extension efforts to find solutions to land degradation problems in Australia (Curtis and De Lacy 1995; Rickson et al. 1995). The knowledge and experience farmers gain from trial and error, personal observation and interaction with others in their local environment can be an important factor in decision making and in determining land management practices. Such knowledge relies strongly on past experience, intuition, and the environment (both physical and social) in which it evolves (Chambers et al. 1989; Kloppenburg 1991). Studies of farming systems and indigenous knowledge systems in developing countries have given rise to increased recognition of the role of local knowledge in technology development and the importance of participation in rural development (Farrington and Martin 1988; Haverkort et al. 1991). However, there has been less debate surrounding ...
The contribution of local knowledge in agriculture to sustainable development
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Local knowledge (LK) has played an active role in the lives of rural communities in virtually every part of the world such as in agriculture. At the same time, the contribution of LK towards sustainable development is getting wider acceptance especially in today's agricultural practice. Therefore, continuous study to define the sustainability element is needed especially within community who still utilise LK. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the contribution of local knowledge practiced by the Iban farmers in lowland paddy cultivation located in the coastal areas of Sarawak in relation to the sustainable development context. The study was conducted in two Iban villages in Kuala Tatau namely Kuala Serupai and Sungai Semanok. There are 22 farmers of different age and gender involved in this research through in-depth interview, focus group discussion and participant observation that were carried out for a year. The findings show that this knowledge contribute to the three pillars of sustainability frame work such as socio-culture, socioeconomic and environment.
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This study discusses opportunities and challenges for integrating local knowledge in improving rural accessibility and mobility, within the context of supporting the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) initiatives in South Africa. One of the major challenges besetting rural areas of South Africa and the CRDP sites is the lack of and need for a critical mass of infrastructure and services that can link communities to one another. This will aid the process of transforming rural spaces, places, people and cultures. The research for this study therefore sought to explore alternative and innovative ways through which local knowledge could contribute towards reversing impediments and existing problems in rural areas. The study is based on a broader Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) audit conducted by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform across the country. The study approach was participatory, involving extensive discussions with stakeholders. This included visits to project areas, robust application of internal and external peerreview mechanism and document analysis. The researchers conducted an audit to unpack existing local knowledge systems that could be improved and integrated to address access and mobility issues in rural areas. The ultimate aim of the exercise was to establish a platform and expand pathways to improve the socio-economic growth and development application levers for use by rural communities in the CRDP pilot sites. The results show that a number of local knowledge systems are available in rural areas, however, these have been neglected as they are considered primitive and inferior. We recommend that scoping and interrogating existing local knowledge systems is an essential pillar to promote local economic development. Finding practical ways of improving the development value add of local knowledge is critical in designing, implementing, commercialising and sustaining appropriate community technologies to respond to the rural development agenda in South Africa. This paper posits that the local knowledge systems can be improved to support integrated infrastructure interventions and strategies for implementing affordable access and mobility interventions. We believe that using local knowledge to support local infrastructure interventions will assist the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform to meet part of its mandate within the broader ambit of rural development initiatives and service delivery.
International Information & Library Review, 2010
This paper is based on a PhD study ) that sought to assess the application of knowledge management (KM) approaches in managing indigenous knowledge (IK) for sustainable agricultural practices in developing countries, with a specific focus on Tanzania. This study used a mixed-research method which was conducted in six districts of Tanzania. Non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups were used to collect primary data from small-scale farmers in the selected districts. A total of 181 farmers participated in the semi-structured interviews, where the respondents ranged between 27 and 37 per district. Twelve focus group discussions were conducted in the selected districts. The study revealed that IK was acquired and shared within a small, weak and spontaneous network, and thus knowledge loss was prevalent in the surveyed communities. There were distinct variations in the acquisition of agricultural IK both in different locations and between genders. Information and communication technologies (ICT), culture, trust, and status influenced the sharing and distribution of IK in the surveyed communities. The research findings showed that KM models can be used to manage and integrate IK with other knowledge systems, taking the differences into account (for example, gender, location, culture, infrastructure). The paper concludes with recommendations for the application of KM approaches for the management of IK and its integration with other knowledge systems for agricultural development in developing countries, including Tanzania. ª
THE SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT: KNOWLEDGE BASED APPROACH
FOLIA UNIVERSITATIS AGRICULTURAE STETINENSIS Folia Univ. Agric. Stetin. 2008, Oeconomica, 2008
Today rural development programmes have become more complex. The consultants and managers of rural development projects need comprehensive knowledge. The comfortable information environment that expands the capabilities for the successful collaboration of rural inhabitants should be created for the favourable rural development knowledge management. The proposed rural development knowledge management and sharing framework consists of the data bases and knowledge pool with the mechanisms of their management, communication and the real time knowledge common usage system, the user interface. The integration of the sustainable rural development strategies together with the knowledge management help the rural production, business and public organizations and the groups of village inhabitants to adapt to the changing environment and more quickly implement the aims of sustainable development.