Analysing learning at the interface of scientific and traditional ecological knowledge in a mangrove ecosystem restoration scenario in the eastern coast of Tanzania

Sabai, Daniel; Sisitka, Heila

Title: Analysing learning at the interface of scientific and traditional ecological knowledge in a mangrove ecosystem restoration scenario in the eastern coast of Tanzania
Creator: Sabai, Daniel
Creator: Sisitka, Heila
Date Issued: 2013
Date: 2013
Type: text
Type: article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/127179
Identifier: vital:35974
Identifier: https://doi.org/10.2478/trser-2013-0027
Description: Records from community-based coastal management initiatives indicate that local communities who are key actors in activities that aim at safeguarding the health status of terrestrial and marine ecosystems face a lot of challenges associated with adapting andapplying indicators that are scientifically abstracted and methodologically too reified, given varying social, contextual and technical conditions prevailing amongst them. This paper brings into view possible challenges of adapting and applying scientific indicators in community-based monitoring of mangrove ecosystem and suggests a new approach that may lead to development of indicators which are less reified, more congruent to users (coastal communities) and likely to attract a wider social learning in the mangroverestoration context. It also sets a bridge for scientific institutions (including universities), tounderstand various social, cultural and contextual needs that determine epistemological access between them and local communities, which need to be addressed prior to engaging targetcommunities in participatory monitoring programmes.The paper attempts to analyse learning at the interface of knowledge that scientific institutions produce and the potential knowledge that exists in local context (traditional ecological knowledge) for purposes of widening and improving knowledge sharing and safeguarding the health status of mangrove species and fisheries that use them as key habitats. The paper stems from a study which employs processes of abstraction and experiential learning techniques such as Experiential Learning Intervention Workshop carried out in 2012,to unlock knowledge that local communities have, as an input for underlabouring existing scientific indicators in the eastern coast of Tanzania.It brings into view the need to consider contextual realities on ground, the level of education that the participating group has, the minimum level of participation that is required, structures that govern coastal monitoring practices at local level and the need for scientific institutions to consider the knowledge that local people have as an input for enhancing or improving coastal monitoring, especially monitoring of mangrove and fishery resources. The paper finally comes up with a framework of indicators which is regarded by coastal communities as being less reified, more contextually and culturally congruent and which can easily be used in detecting environmental trends, threats, changes and conditions of mangrove and fisheries resources, and attract wider social learning processes.
Format: 26 pages
Format: pdf
Language: English
Relation: Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research
Relation: Sabai, D. and Sisitka, H., 2013. Analysing learning at the interface of scientific and traditional ecological knowledge in a mangrove ecosystem restoration scenario in the eastern coast of Tanzania. Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research, 15(2), pp.185-210.
Relation: Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research number 15 number 2 185 210 2013 2344-3219
Rights: Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research
Rights: Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) License

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