Building indigenous knowledge capacity for development
| Date | 01 May 2010 |
| Published date | 01 May 2010 |
| Pages | 113-129 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/20425945201000008 |
| Author | Amer Al‐Roubaie |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management |
Copyright © 2010 WASD
World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2010
113
Building indigenous
Knowledge capacity
for development
Amer Al-Roubaie*
Ahlia University, Bahrain
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of Indigenous
Knowledge (IK) in development. The paper focuses on the role that IK and local
cultural values play in the process of development. Currently, knowledge, infor-
mation, science and technology used in development are produced in developed
countries without heed being paid to their impact on the local environment. IK,
although often short-shirted, establishes a harmonious relationship between the
social system and the environment in any given developing countries. Access to
global knowledge is vital for supporting IK as well as for sustaining development.
Keywords: indigenous knowledge; development; globalisation; technology;
environment; poverty; capacity building.
introduction
The aim of this paper is to highlight the
importance of Indigenous Knowledge (IK)
for fostering economic growth and sustain-
ing development. The paper focuses on
the role that traditional knowledge and
local cultural values play in the process of
development. Recent literature on devel-
opment studies considers knowledge as
a key resource that can alleviate poverty,
promote innovations, enhance competitive-
ness and create wealth. The new economy
driven by globalisation is a knowledge-based
economy, which requires a country to build
knowledge capacity with a view to increasing
productivity and cultivating new opportuni-
ties offered by globalisation.
Sustaining development underscores
the importance of cooperation among
developing countries to share knowledge
and disseminate information. Knowledge
and information have the power to acceler-
ate the process of development and stimu-
late economic growth by strengthening the
foundation for building productive capac-
ity through innovation and human capital
development. In recent years, the rise of
globalisation has given greater access to
global knowledge and information, which
can be used to alleviate poverty and close
the knowledge gap. Development is a com-
plex process of multidimensional factors
involving both local and external forces.
For instance, the IK-system based on local
* College of Business and Finance, Ahlia University, Manama, Bahrain; e-mail: amer@ahliauniversity.edu.bh
Website: http://www.worldbank.org/afr/ik/basic.htm
114 A. Al-Roubaie
cultural values and environmental features
employs IK to accelerate the developmental
process. Under such circumstances, national
economic policies in these countries must
integrate new knowledge into the tradi-
tional knowledge system to increase link-
ages and promote development. Without
making use of traditional knowledge, the
process of development becomes depen-
dent on technology transfer and Western
scientific applications. Knowledge for devel-
opment must be appropriate in relation to
a country’s environmental, social, cultural,
spiritual and economic landscape.
This paper highlights the relationship
between the traditional knowledge system
and the modern knowledge system driven
by globalisation. Benefiting from the global
economy requires building capacity to ensure
leapfrogging and sustained development.
In this regard, traditional knowledge becomes
vital for speeding up the process of transfor-
mation and reducing the knowledge gap.
Currently, knowledge, information, science
and technology used in development are
produced in Western countries without heed
being paid to the latter’s adequacy in rela-
tion to the local environment. IK, although
often short-shirted, establishes a harmonious
relationship between the social system and
the environment in any given developing
country.
economic development
During the last few decades, many develop-
ing countries adopted Western knowledge
through technology transfer, educational
programmes, international institutions,
non-governmental organisations, industri-
alisation and training with local knowledge
contributing little content. Mistakenly, indus-
trialisation based on technology transfer and
Western managerial and organisational skills
has been considered as an important step for
promoting social and economic development.
However, industrialisation just for the sake
of development often results in undesir-
able consequences including environmen-
tal degradation and structural imbalances.
Technology transfer and industrial develop-
ment require specific managerial and organ-
isational skills while often mandating a level
of waste disposal and pollution control lack-
ing in most developing countries. Economic
development highlights the importance
of creative knowledge and effective plan-
ning for utilisation of human and physical
resources to increase productivity and sus-
tain economic growth. Recent literature
on development recognises knowledge as
a necessary condition for promoting devel-
opment and catching up with industrial
countries. Beyond sound macroeconomic
policies, an effective capacity for absorbing,
acquiring and sharing knowledge is the sine
qua non for building an overall strategy for
development. Countries that fail to invest
in building capabilities to utilise both local
and global knowledge are more likely to suf-
fer from slow economic growth and weak
global linkages. The World Bank describes
the role that knowledge plays in develop-
ment this way:
“Knowledge is critical for development,
because everything we do depends on
knowledge. Simply to live, we must trans-
form the resources we have into the things
we need, and that takes knowledge. And
if we want to live better tomorrow than
today, if we want to raise living standards as
a household or as a country-and improve
our health, better educate our children,
and preserve our common environment –
we must do more than simply transform
more resources, for resources are scarce.
We must use those resources in ways that
generate ever-higher returns to our efforts
and investments. That, too, takes knowl-
edge and ever-greater proportion to our
resources.” (World Bank, 1998a)1
Modernisation theories have adopted west-
ern historical experience with development
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