Can Indigenous Knowledge Contribute to the Sustainability Management of the Aspiring Rio Coco Geopark, Nicaragua?

Martina Pásková

doi:10.3390/geosciences8080277

Abstract

Indigenous knowledge in the UNESCO Global Geoparks represents an important emerging research topic. This study investigates aspects of the indigenous environmental knowledge in the southern part of the aspiring Rio Coco Geopark (Nicaragua) and its potential to enhance the sustainability management of geotourism and other geopark activities. The ethnographic method has been implemented in the form of semi-structured interviewing of the representatives of local households and through the application of participant observation. Related field research methods included documentation of the life history of Elders, focal group discussions, GPS mapping, photo-documentation, and problem tree analysis. The results indicate that the best-conserved indigenous environmental knowledge relates to the use of land, rocks, and plants, while the expression and transmission of the spiritual dimension of this traditional knowledge are declining. The key implications of the observed indigenous knowledge for the geopark decision-makers include the identified potential for its sustainability management, geotourism and geo-interpretation opportunities, as well as the conditions for the implementation of this potential.

Highlights

One of the greatest challenges for humankind is undoubtedly the sustainable use of natural resources to ensure continued human progress and development
[42].in preventing the undesirable effects of global environmental problems, like climate change, deforestation, Previous studies have analysed the importance of indigenous knowledge in the sustainable and biodiversity loss development of geoparks and geotourism [8,9,10,11], but the purpose of the present study was to have analysed the importance of indigenous knowledge the sustainable identify Previous in detail studies the indigenous environmental knowledge and to indicate its in potential for development of geoparks and geotourism
The leaders of the indigenous community El Apante are strongly aware of the fact that they should dedicate much more attention and efforts to rediscover, transmit and enhance use their traditional environmental knowledge and to improve the sustainability of their life and geotourism emerging in the aspiring Rio Coco Geopark, and to reactivate their indigenous identity

Summary

Introduction

One of the greatest challenges for humankind is undoubtedly the sustainable use of natural resources to ensure continued human progress and development. Sustainability management has been developed since the 1980s to manage the internal processes within an organisation to reduce its environmental impact. Does not take sufficient account of the dynamically changing external environment of the organization, and it lacks a consistent link between management and its environmental and socio-cultural environment [2]. Sustainability management theory [2] is based on a consistent system and process approach including the interconnection of organizations, society, individuals and the environment. This approach is complemented by a theory of interest groups, based on a shared sustainability value among all interest groups [3]. This enhanced sustainability management theory can be applied in regional sustainability management and Geosciences 2018, 8, 277; doi:10.3390/geosciences8080277 www.mdpi.com/journal/geosciences

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