1IPSI collaborative activity proposal:
Create synergy between traditional knowledge and modern science
Leading Organization: Nature and Livelihoods, Uganda
Collaborating Institution: CFNRPS, Renmin University of China
Activity Summary:
Sustainability of Socio-ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS) depends onstrengthening human capital in ways that support the management of the natural capital.
Traditional knowledge, the knowledge and insights acquired through extensive use orobservation of an area or species, can play an important but often undervalued role enabling
local communities to manage vulnerability, uncertainties, shocks and stresses. New innovations
based on modern science can be developed building on it, thus clearing some of the knowledge
and technological bottlenecks limiting its applicability and effectiveness. Local community
institutions and individuals with in a community can be strengthened to identify, conserve,manage, and add value to local diversity and other renewable land resources when traditional
knowledge is improved by modern science and technology.
New innovations based on traditional knowledge or improvements of traditional resource use
and management practices can strengthen SEPLS’s management. Resource use andmanagement practices developed elsewhere based on traditional knowledge also need to betested in new situations. Both can be achieved through research. Examples of how synergy canbe created between traditional knowledge and modern science include but are not restricted to
the following: i) understanding the role of traditional knowledge in poverty alleviation,
biodiversity conservation, and food security through documentation of cases, ii) identifying
synergy between traditional knowledge and modern farming practices, for better soil
management and food security of poor small-holder farmers, iii) understanding of nutritional
values and new ways to propagate, multiply, process and market traditional foods to create
new opportunities for a wider variety of income-generating enterprises, hence a ripple effectthat multiplies the benefits broadly through rural communities, iv)assisting farmers to reserve
traditional land use practices to achieve poverty alleviation and while ensuring sustainable
management of the environment, v) understanding impacts of agricultural intensification andmonocultures (e.g. impacts of pesticides) which can help drive development of moreenvironmentally-friendly agricultural inputs, vi) providing policy recommendations to local
people and the international community to strengthen the use of traditional knowledge inSEPLS.

2Concrete examples of how modern science has been used to improve local knowledge forsound management of land and use of biodiversity are however still limited. This project will
explore, develop and test ways to improve efficiency of use of indigenous resources in SEPLS asa means of improving livelihood resilience of the local communities while sustaining
biodiversity. The goal is to use modern science and technology to improve upon local traditionsof land and biodiversity use by increasing productivity, developing and testing new products,
and creating or expanding markets. The research will be a multi stage, multi-tiered process
involving knowledge identification and developing or testing new innovations based thatknowledge.
Tentatively, the project is designed to be implemented in Uganda and China. In Uganda, it will
be based in the Teso landscape in the eastern part of the country. This landscape lies withinUganda’s cattle corridor, a stretch of country earlier identified in Nature and Livelihoods’ casestudy as a major socio-ecological production landscape. Native species and natural habitats
have been traditionally retained in Uganda’s cattle corridor for their importance as sources ofpasture, native foods, and fibre but these sustainable uses have been increasingly abandoned inrecent years. Considerations that make the proposed project area attractive for
implementation of this project include: i) a high rate of land degradation, ii) location within avegetation zone that is poorly represented within Uganda’s protected area network, iii)
occurrence of a high diversity of wild foods, particularly fruits important for food security andnutrition, and iv) being highly prone to climate disasters (frequent droughts and floods) hence ahigh priority site for developing, testing, and applying tools of livelihood resilience.
In China, the project will be implemented in the Kerqin Sandland Region in Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region, Northeast China, Hunan and Guozhou province Southwest China. The
habitats in inner Mongolia autonomous region are a mosaic of pasture, wetland, farmland,
shrub forests, rich biodiversity with traditional nomadic life of Mongolian. Various minorities
enjoy with mountainous landscape, Southwest China, with many traditions and colorful culture.
However as China has been in rapid globalization, urbanization and industrialization process,these ecological-social landscapes have rapidly transformed and traditional knowledge andlifestyle are being lost. The activities in China will focus on document social-ecologicallandscape in the selected hinterland in the minority regions, and enhance capacity of local
residences to develop sound ecological friendly livelihoods with best application of traditional
knowledge with support of modern sciences and technology.
Specific activities proposed and expected outcomes are presented in the table below by IPSI
objective:

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Proposed activities and outputs. Activities identified under “Activity 1” correspond to the first four of the five actions
recommended during IPSI-3 as some of those that could be pursued to create synergy between traditional knowledge andmodern science
IPSI Objective
1. Increase knowledge
and understanding ofsocio-ecologicalproduction landscapesand seascapes that are
addressed by theSatoyama Initiative
2. Address the direct andunderlying causes
responsible for thedecline or loss of
biological and cultural
diversity as well as
ecological and socioeconomic services fromsocio-ecologicalproduction landscapesand seascapes

Activity 1i) Record/document
traditional knowledgeii) Prove the validity of
traditional knowledge
through systematic
observation and testingiii) Develop new
innovations by improving
understanding of use of
traditional knowledge

Activity 2a) Carry out research onrole of traditional
knowledge in food security,
sustainable landscapemanagement, biodiversity,and carbon sinks in selectedcommunitiesb) Verify local beliefs
concerning the relationshipbetween flowering ofparticular species of nativeplants and honey flow

Country
China, Ugandac) Improve policy coherence
for better use of traditional
knowledge throughunderstanding interface oftraditional knowledge withoutside intervention andstakeholder consultation
process in a selected area.

China-Activity report-Journal articlesd) Develop an integrated
community development
planning in a community
selected as IPSI pilotingsites.

China

Activity report

UgandaOutput
Reports on environmental
and cultural values of
SEPLS in selected
communities including listsof economic values andmanagement practices ofhigh promise
Activity report4iv) Facilitate replication ofuses and practices thathave demonstrated goodoutcomes

3. Enhance benefits fromsocio-ecologicalproduction landscapesand seascapesii) Prove the validity of
traditional knowledge
through systematic
observation and testinge) Carry out experiments todevelop low-cost, ecofriendly means ofcontrolling selected croppests

UgandaA report describing
methodologies developedf) Disseminate research
results at local, national,and international levels

Ugandag) Establish theeffectiveness of land use
practices already proven on
other landscapes (e.g.
innovative agroforestrypractices) in selected SEPLSh) Facilitate stakeholder
engagement in regional
development planning
based on results fromresearch on developing
synergy between traditional
knowledge and modernscience

UgandaA report(s) on workshops
organized, presentations
given, and manuscripts
prepared or published.
A report of effectivenessof land management
practices provenelsewhere on focal
landscapes

ChinaActivity reporti) Provide trainings tovarious stakeholdersj) Conduct lab analyses /literature review ofnutritional values ofindigenous species of hightraditional value as food

China

Activity report

China, Uganda

A summary of key
nutritional values for foodspecies selected5sourcesk) Conduct experiments andliterature reviews on
methods to propagate andmanage for high yield, ofwild species of high valuel) Conduct experiments totest effectiveness of local
wild species establishedthrough socioeconomic
assessment as valued foragriculturem) Carry out a study toverify effectiveness of
traditional land use andbiodiversity use andmanagement practices

UgandaA report on protocols for
multiplying species of higheconomic value

Ugandan) Carry out analyses toscreen unproven species of
the highest medicinal value
used locally forpharmacological and othermedicinal properties

UgandaA report on local wild
species of high potential
for improvement ofagricultural production
and methods ofapplication
A report on sustainabilityof traditional land use
practices compared toemerging new practices
including comparisons of
economic value
A report withpharmacological and othermedicinal propertiesp) Conduct lab analyses toscreen high value wild
foods for anti-nutritive
properties

UgandaUgandaA report describing antinutritive properties

6iii) Develop new
innovations by improving
understanding of use of
traditional knowledgeiv) Facilitate replication ofuses and practices thathave demonstrated goodoutcomesq) Conduct trials to develop
new ways of processing
local foods of high value forgreater local consumption
and for the markets, andcreate new market brands
for high value wild productsf) Disseminate research
results at local, national,and international levels

UgandaA report describing resultsfrom activities undertaken

UgandaA report(s) on workshops
organized, presentations
given, and manuscripts
prepared or published.

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Expected outcomes(s) of the project: This project will contribute to the achievement of IPSI
activity 12 and other activities related to Category 5 developed based on the IPSI-2 conference
held in Nairobi in March 2012. The activity(s) relate to areas 1 & 5 of IPSI which concern“knowledge facilitation” and “on the ground activities” respectively and objectives 1-3 of IPSI.
Schedule/Milestones and Project Completion:
Dates
September 10th 2012
April 2013
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Events / Tasks
Proposal Concept Draft Ready and Submitted
to the IPSI Secretariat
Final Concept Submitted
Final Proposal Ready
Project Implementation Begins
Project Update Deadlines
Project Completion
Deadline for Final Reporting

Contact information: names and contacts of the focal persons1. Dr. William Olupot, Director, Nature and Livelihoods, Uganda; Email: wolupot@gmail.com;
wolupot@natureandlivelihoods.org
2. Dr. Liu Jinlong, Professor, Centre for Resource and Forestry Policy Study (CFNRPS), RenminUniversity of China; Email: liujinlong_jl@hotmail.com