The 1990s have seen a growing interest in the role of local ecological
knowledge in the context of sustainable development, and particularly in
providing a set of responses to which populations may resort in times of
political, economic and environmental instability. The period 1996-2003
in island southeast Asia represents a critical test case for
understanding how this might work. The key issues explored in this book
are the creation, erosion and transmission of ecological knowledge, and
hybridization between traditional and scientifically-based knowledge,
amongst populations facing environmental stress (e.g. 1997 El Niño),
political conflict and economic hazards. The book will also evaluate
positive examples of how traditional knowledge has enabled local
populations to cope with these kinds of insecurity.