Connecting local ecological knowledge and Earth system models: Comparing three participatory approaches

Although all three cases demonstrate how combining LEK and ESM data improves collaborative understandings of human-environment processes, we also found that key differences in the participatory approaches we used, particularly as regards timing and type of participation from local communities, produced three different sets of outcomes. Specifically, as our cases move from less (first case) to more (third case) participation and knowledge integration, the outcomes move beyond combining ESM and LEK knowledge and toward changing the design and configuration of ESMs themselves with insights from LEK.

However, we simultaneously find that these deeper levels of integration require multiyear relationships between researchers and communities, agreements on data sovereignty for communities, and community’s involvement in designing and instigating the project, which are not necessary to achieve lower levels of integration. In all three cases, we found that communities are willing to participate in this work when relationships of trust have been built, data privacy and sovereignty is agreed upon and carefully protected, and epistemic differences are respected.