Studies about environmental change and local knowledge in Latin America

Abstract

The symposium’s theme “Environmental Change and Local Knowledge” focuses on the problems of environmental change from the perspective of local actors in Latin America. The purpose is to generate exchange of experiences considering methodological and pragmatic criteria. We will include the analysis of local knowledge and its application to different problems. The contributions will focus on case studies contextualized in socio-environmental contexts. We will also observe which methodologies are most appropriate for these studies and what difficulties and challenges arise, what are the strengths, and how we can contribute from an interdisciplinary perspective to the resolution of environmental problems. We also promote work that aims to revalue local knowledge, assuming that community knowledge is diverse, innovative, and effective in solving social and environmental problems. From this perspective, we will observe how communities perceive and identify environmental changes and what strategies they have adopted in the face of unstable and emerging environments. Finally, we reflect on the relationships between environmental change, local knowledge, and the design of community intervention programs that articulate with national, international, or other civil organizations’ public and scientific policies.