Trinidad and Tobago national outlook on Indigenous and local knowledge of biodiversity

The National Outlook on Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) of Biodiversity project, aimed to address challenges associated with mainstreaming ILK into biodiversity decision-making, and supported the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) targets—particularly Targets 9, 21, and 22.  The countries that piloted this initiative were Malawi, Namibia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

In Trinidad and Tobago, there is an opportunity to explore and document ILK from diverse communities, including Indigenous Peoples as well as Afro-descendant and Indo-descendant communities. Additionally, there is significant potential to mainstream ILK into biodiversity decision-making processes concerning key ecosystems such as tropical forests and coral reefs.

Against this backdrop, it is crucial to establish a baseline understanding of ILK in relation to biodiversity and ecosystems, assess its mainstreaming level into biodiversity policies and decision-making processes, and identify documentation gaps.

About the project

This project’s overall goal was to establish a baseline understanding of documented ILK of biodiversity, assess its inclusion in biodiversity policies and decision-making processes, and identify documentation gaps to support enhancing ILK documentation, and mainstreaming within national and subnational biodiversity strategies and policies in Trinidad and Tobago. These policies and strategies included Trinidad and Tobago’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), national targets aligned with the KMGBF and other key national biodiversity policies. The initiative also sought to strengthen awareness and build the capacity of policymakers to effectively engage Indigenous Peoples and local communities in biodiversity decision-making and policy formulation.

How will this project benefit the Caribbean region?

The project was implemented under the wider National Outlook on ILK of Biodiversity initiative, with Trinidad and Tobago being one of three countries under the initiative, and the only country from the Caribbean. This project can serve as a pilot for other countries within the region, offering lessons learned, best practices, and tested frameworks for mainstreaming ILK into national biodiversity decision-making processes.

What did we achieve?

Project objectives:

• Examined the state of ILK of biodiversity and ecosystem services in Trinidad and Tobago and highlight ILK documentation gaps.
• Evaluated to what extent ILK is incorporated in the revised/latest Trinidad and Tobago’s NBSAP and national targets in line with KMGBF and evaluate the degree of inclusion of ILK in Trinidad and Tobago’s biodiversity policies.
• Based on identified capacity gaps, implemented tailored capacity building workshops and ILK knowledge exchange fora with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and policymakers, to strengthen mainstreaming of ILK into NBSAP implementation and national reporting in Trinidad and Tobago.

CANARI is committed to engaging Indigenous Peoples and local communities ensuring their free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), in line with our principles of inclusive and participatory governance and based on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). As such, CANARI collaborated with Indigenous Peoples and local communities and provided an open forum for their independent and collective discussions and decision-making.

What activities did we take to achieve this?

Outputs and activities:

1. Comprehensive Assessment Report on ILK Outlook of Biodiversity – a baseline assessment of documented ILK and its level of inclusion in national biodiversity policies in Trinidad and Tobago.
2. Convened a Multistakeholder ILK Policy Dialogue Workshop with policymakers and Indigenous Peoples and local communities to explore opportunities and barriers for ILK inclusion in biodiversity policy.
3. Conducted ILK Capacity Building and Dissemination Workshop to disseminate the key findings and policy recommendations.

Recent project news and information

• Advancing Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) for biodiversity in Trinidad and Tobago

• We’re supporting local communities to document Indigenous and local knowledge!

• Hot off the presses: check out the Trinidad and Tobago National Outlook on Indigenous and Local Knowledge of Biodiversity (TTNOILKB)!

Project-related communications

• Trinidad and Tobago National Outlook on Indigenous and Local Knowledge of Biodiversity Assessment Report
• Journal of Local Knowledge on the Biodiversity of Charlotteville
• Journal of Local Knowledge on the Biodiversity of L’Anse Fourmi

More information about this project

• Download the project brief
• Contact Dr. Natalie Boodram, Senior Technical Officer, at natalie@canari.org

Related programmes

• Biodiversity and Ecosystems
• Participatory Governance