Traditional, Indigenous and Local Knowledge Systems: A Bibliometric Analysis Interfacing Response to Climate Action (SDG 13)

Abstract

Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) have long relied on traditional, indigenous, and local knowledge (TILK) systems to respond to the significant challenges they face. Various international protocols have acknowledged the relevance of TILK in promoting climate action. Although the contributions of TILK to climate action have been documented over the past 10 to 15 years, this body of work has not yet been comprehensively mapped. Therefore, this study conducted a bibliometric analysis to map research on TILK and climate change (TILK-CC). The findings reveal substantial growth in publications on TILK-CC, particularly since 2007; however, leading authors, research institutions, and funding bodies are predominantly based in the Global North. While TILK-CC research is ostensibly intended to benefit the most vulnerable populations, including indigenous peoples, the underrepresentation of the voices of IPLCs and academia from the Global South points to epistemic extractivism. This study consequently identifies key research gaps, particularly in citizen science initiatives on TILK-CC and in the nexus between TILK and climate justice in urban, coastal, and marine contexts. It further underscores the need for capacity-building programmes for IPLCs to enable their active engagement in all phases of citizen science projects, thereby safeguarding against epistemic ‘violence’ and supporting TILK sovereignty.