Biocultural Diversity and the Role of Local and Indigenous Communities in Its Preservation

In every corner of the Earth, local nature supports its inhabitants, and in return, people preserve and pass on their natural environment through traditional wisdom and practices deeply embedded in their cultures and languages. These relationships remain relevant for indigenous and local communities that maintain both material and spiritual connections to their natural environment.

Traditional ecological knowledge and practices accumulated over many generations characterize indigenous peoples and local communities as possessors of unique skills and as caring guardians of the ecosystems in which they live. It is through languages that this knowledge, practices, and customs are preserved and passed on to subsequent generations, forming the foundation of their cultural identity and social responsibility.

Why is it important to preserve biocultural diversity?

First, we risk losing unique ways of life, languages, and identities that are part of the global cultural heritage. This is not only a matter of cultural and linguistic diversity—it is also a violation of human rights, as every people has the right to choose its path of development and maintain continuity with the past, following in the footsteps of their ancestors. It is their right "to move into the future, walking in the footsteps of their ancestors."

Second, biocultural diversity is linked to the maintenance of biodiversity, which is important for the survival of all humanity and nature. Traditional knowledge about natural resources helps preserve and reproduce the wealth of ecosystems and species, ensuring their resilience in the face of ecological crises. In an era of global challenges, it is important not only to have healthy ecosystems but also to listen to the wisdom of ancestors and the voices of diverse cultures that teach us to live in harmony with the Earth.

Kyrgyz nomads have lived in harmony with nature for millennia. Their traditional methods and mechanisms of nature use ensured sustainability and balance in the "Human-Nature" relationships and helped them survive. The unique system of nature uses by Kyrgyz nomads, based on seasonal pasture rotation, was developed through adaptation to local landscapes and climatic conditions. Tested and verified over time, traditional ecological knowledge and experience were passed down from generation to generation. Along with this, a holistic system of spiritual and moral values, norms of behavior and morality, beliefs, rituals, and customs ensured mechanisms for strict observance, storage, and transmission of information.

The traditional ecological knowledge of the Kyrgyz was developed through the practical life activities of nomads and includes observations and knowledge about natural phenomena, stars, lunar cycles and phases, etc. It also includes pastoral knowledge—this is the traditional classification of livestock, birds of prey, medicinal plants; traditional methods of care and treatment of livestock, knowledge about forming herds according to local conditions and landscapes; traditional classification of pastures, indicators for assessing their condition, measures for their improvement, irrigation methods; technologies for harvesting and processing animal and plant products; craft technologies used for dyeing wool with natural dyes, etc. 

Traditional nomadic economy was essentially resource-saving, nature-restoring, waste-free, i.e., from a modern perspective, ecological and rational.

Despite the influence of rapidly unfolding processes (globalization, climate change, environmental problems, loss of biodiversity), in the high-mountain regions of Kyrgyzstan, there is an opportunity to preserve and develop traditional pasture use methods, preserve biocultural landscapes and endemic species, forms, and varieties of plants, fruit trees that make up the genetic resource of agrobiodiversity, which are capable of resisting modern challenges caused by climate changes and environmental problems.

The Importance of Traditional Knowledge for the Future

Kyrgyz traditional ecological knowledge represents a valuable source of information for studying climate change processes and developing strategies to mitigate the negative consequences of these changes for local communities. However, the full transmission of this knowledge is possible only through close cooperation between representatives of different generations, which ensures its preservation and development under new conditions.