The Neglected Key to Successful Biodiversity Conservation and Appropriate Development: Local traditional knowledge

Abstract

The need to conserve the worlds’ biodiversity is no longer a controversial issue. However, the question of how to conserve biodiversity is a pressing issue. The evidence of this is seen in the continued loss of biodiversity, especially in the rich biodiversity countries of the world, despite the efforts by many governments and non-governmental or-ganizations and individuals. Similarly, the need for coun-tries to develop is not an issue but which types of develop-ment and how development is implemented are important issues. So how do we arrive at successfully conserving biodiversity and achieve appropriate development pro-grams? This paper presents local traditional knowledge as the neglected key to successful biodiversity conservation as well as appropriate development programs. Successful biodiversity conservation and the implementation of ap-propriate development programs, it is suggested, may be ccomplished by consciously targeting and harnessing lo-cal traditional knowledge. The effectiveness is based on the various relationships that exist between people of di-verse cultures and the other elements of biodiversity in their respective areas.