Mobilization of indigenous and local knowledge in science for policy requires epistemic literacy: The case of sustainable municipal development in the Norwegian Arctic
Abstract
Addressing complex environmental challenges requires collaboration across different knowledge holders to scope and articulate relevant local issues, co-create a shared knowledge base for action, and broaden the range of solutions considered. Using the case of sustainable municipal development in the Norwegian Arctic, I elicited residents’ potentially actionable Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) relevant to spatial planning and on par with knowledge routinely mobilized by municipalities through institutionalized expertise. Municipal planning is a complex process. The selection of construction sites can have significant consequences for the environment, the climate, and future generations. Based on interviews with 75 residents, I empirically contribute salient examples of potentially actionable ILK and assess how people appraise their own and others’ knowledge. The results show that residents hold a diverse range of valuable ILK, relevant to sustainable municipal planning. Decision-makers and ILK-holders currently underappreciate the value of ILK. This is due to the implicit assumption that institutionalized expertise has no blind spots, the challenge of assessing ILK, and the questionable assumption that validation of ILK requires statistical confirmation. This hints at an internalized dimension of epistemic marginalization produced by the presently dominant civic epistemology. I propose a new concept, epistemic literacy for sustainable development, that aims to empower ILK-holders to value and share their knowledge. Such literacy is necessary for collaboration across different ways of knowing to advance common sustainability goals. I propose a practical four-step approach to foster epistemic literacy and help municipalities harness the untapped potential of ILK for sustainable local development.
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BibTeX
@article{roos2026mobilization,
title = {{Mobilization of indigenous and local knowledge in science for policy requires epistemic literacy: The case of sustainable municipal development in the Norwegian Arctic}},
author = {Roxana Roos},
journal = {Environmental Science \& Policy},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104460},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05849909v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mobilization of indigenous and local knowledge in science for policy requires epistemic literacy: The case of sustainable municipal development in the Norwegian Arctic
AU - Roxana Roos
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - Environmental Science & Policy
DO - 10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104460
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05849909v1
AB - Addressing complex environmental challenges requires collaboration across different knowledge holders to scope and articulate relevant local issues, co-create a shared knowledge base for action, and broaden the range of solutions considered. Using the case of sustainable municipal development in the Norwegian Arctic, I elicited residents’ potentially actionable Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) relevant to spatial planning and on par with knowledge routinely mobilized by municipalities through institutionalized expertise. Municipal planning is a complex process. The selection of construction sites can have significant consequences for the environment, the climate, and future generations. Based on interviews with 75 residents, I empirically contribute salient examples of potentially actionable ILK and assess how people appraise their own and others’ knowledge. The results show that residents hold a diverse range of valuable ILK, relevant to sustainable municipal planning. Decision-makers and ILK-holders currently underappreciate the value of ILK. This is due to the implicit assumption that institutionalized expertise has no blind spots, the challenge of assessing ILK, and the questionable assumption that validation of ILK requires statistical confirmation. This hints at an internalized dimension of epistemic marginalization produced by the presently dominant civic epistemology. I propose a new concept, epistemic literacy for sustainable development, that aims to empower ILK-holders to value and share their knowledge. Such literacy is necessary for collaboration across different ways of knowing to advance common sustainability goals. I propose a practical four-step approach to foster epistemic literacy and help municipalities harness the untapped potential of ILK for sustainable local development.
SN - 1462-9011
SN - 1873-6416
ER -