Indigenous Knowledge and Water Resource Management

Indigenous knowledge in resource management practices has been gained much importance as a topic of scientific research at the time when modern technology (irrigation, chemical uses etc) has caused much degradation of land and soil. Indigenous knowledge in water resource management in both dry and wetlands in general and in dryland ecosystem in particular is very important. While mechanized exploitation of underground water resources has been responsible of rapid depletion of this resource, increasing soil salinity and acidity, it would be worthwhile important to see how indigenous knowledge has sustained the dryland ecosystems for so long in the history of mankind. The present session welcomes contributions from researchers from both dry and wetland ecosystems to share their experience on how local people use their indigenous knowledge and technology to manage water resources and produce their food and sustainable grazing for their livestock animals. Participants may also focus on issue such as indigenous knowledge on soil-water relationship and how they classify their lands and soils for land use and land allocations. Dryland researchers may also focus on local knowledge on identification of water resource potentials and its impact on human settlement development (nomadic!). Thus the session will focus on the following themes:

• Indigenous knowledge on water resource management for food production
  and grazing
• Indigenous knowledge on soil-water relationships and making land use decisions
• Indigenous knowledge on water resource potentials and nomadic livelihood
• Other topic on related issues

Please send your abstracts and questions to Dr. Abu Muhammad Shajaat Ali
ali@isdehs.com

Please note that the deadline for submitting your abstract is October 15 , 2006.

 

Convenor(s):

Dr. Abu Muhammad Shajaat Ali
Associate Professor of Geography
Department of Social Sciences
The University of Texas
3900 University Blvd.
Tyler, Texas 75799
USA

phone:+1 (903) 566 7432
fax:     +1 (903)-565-5537
email:  ali@isdehs.com
 

Download your PDF version of this session here
 

For further information about ISDEHS 2006, please contact
us at: info@isdehs.com