Exploring links between local knowledge, values and livelihoods in the land-sea interface: Insights on emerging tradeoffs and change in fisher communities
Speed Presentation | 23 Aug 14:05 | E4

Authors: Barceló, Matías; Tengö, Maria;Gelcich, Stefan;

Diversification of livelihoods is a strategy to build adaptive capacity but may also negatively affect the transmission of local knowledge and values. Diversification and mobility of livelihoods in land-sea interface is relevant for communities to decrease vulnerability. How people relate to and manage nature based on knowledge and values matter for responses and adaptation to change as well as innovation and identification of new pathways. Here we assess the links between local knowledge, values and livelihoods in order to identify emerging tradeoffs associated to actors and communities’ livelihood responses to change. Using semi-structured interviews, we assessed knowledge and values associated with terrestrial and marine species and diversity of income sources, in six communities in Chile. We probed the relationships between income source diversification and human-nature relationships, classified as relational, intrinsic, and instrumental, and discuss implications for place-based adaptation and transformation. Our findings indicate that there are communities losing knowledge and values when they expand their income sources and communities that do not. Certain livelihood diversification may result in time limitations that can impact knowledge transmission. Thereby, we discuss the implications for transformative change that may allow for protection and development of local knowledge and values despite the livelihood diversification.