Traditional & Indigenous Knowledge for Decolonizing Environmental Stewardship

Descripción del proyecto

Una gobernanza justa para los ecosistemas de carbono azul

A pesar del deterioro de los ecosistemas de carbono azul, los conservacionistas no están incorporando el uso de los sistemas de conocimiento indígenas ni las cuestiones relacionadas con la justicia social. Estas prácticas han demostrado ser ineficaces y poco éticas. Con el apoyo de las acciones Marie Skłodowska-Curie, el proyecto TIDES se dedica a desarrollar modelos de gobernanza que contribuyan a la conservación de los ecosistemas de carbono azul, incluidos los manglares, las praderas marinas y las marismas salinas. El proyecto adopta un método interdisciplinar, basándose en información ecológica, valoración económica y conocimientos indígenas y locales, con el fin de comprender cómo deben abordarse e interpretarse los cambios en los ecosistemas de carbono azul.

Objetivo

The proposed project addresses urgent challenges in the governance of Blue Carbon Ecosystems (BCEs), mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes, which are vital for climate mitigation, biodiversity, and coastal livelihoods but face accelerating degradation from aquaculture, pollution, and climate. While ecological monitoring and economic valuation of BCEs are well developed, current frameworks overlook Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK), relational values, and justice dimensions, limiting the legitimacy and effectiveness of conservation strategies. The fellowship aims to develop justice-oriented governance frameworks that integrate ecological diagnostics, ecosystem service valuation, and ILK, while linking community-derived valuations to blue finance mechanisms such as carbon credits and Payments for Ecosystem Services. Two contrasting but complementary case studies, Galicia (Spain), with its cofradías and mariscadoras, and Wakatobi (Indonesia), home to Indigenous Bajo communities, provide the basis for comparative insights across the Global North and South. The project will proceed in four stages: (1) mapping ecosystem change and stressors using remote sensing, UAVs, and ground-truthing; (2) quantifying ecosystem services and integrating community preferences through ecological models, surveys, and multi-criteria decision tools; (3) documenting ILK through oral histories, participatory mapping, and gendered knowledge practices; and (4) synthesizing findings through participatory workshops to produce multilingual policy briefs and transferable governance toolkits. The project will advance the objectives of the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by aligning ecological, economic, and cultural perspectives. It will deliver scalable pathways for more resilient, equitable, and sustainable stewardship of coastal ecosystems, as EU-funded research addresses global climate and justice challenges.