Expertss Perspectives on the Integration of Indigenous Knowledge and Science in Wet Tropics Natural Resource Management

Abstract

Aboriginal inhabitants of the Wet Tropics (WT), Queensland, advocate for greater inclusion of their indigenous knowledge (IK) in natural resource management (NRM) to fulfil their customary obligations to country and to exert their Native Title rights. Despite a legal and institutional framework for inclusion of IK in NRM, IK has so far been applied only sporadically. A need for research has been identified to explore this issue, including how IK and science are perceived in NRM in the WT, the factors limiting their integration, and opportunities to further integration. This paper addresses these issues by examining perspectives of natural resource managers and researchers working in cross-cultural NRM. Our results show how IK and science are perceived in the WT; that integration is limited by weak indigenous internal and external governance; and for further integration of IK and science in the NRM of the area, stronger Aboriginal governance and more focussed engagement strategies are required. We discuss our findings in light of existing literature and outline future directions for further research.