Nexus between Indigenous Knowledge and Environmental Sustainability: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The study reviews current state of knowledge and empirical research gaps on indigenous knowledge and environmental sustainability. The study followed Systematic Literature Review based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analyses (PRISMA). The review considered 173 articles relevant to South Asian region published during the period from 2015-2025 extracted from LENS.ORG, a free database. Bibliometric analysis using VOSViewer software, and thematic analysis were performed. The review identified 03 key themes 1) Conservation, Ecology and Sustainability of Ecosystems, 2) Ethnobotany, Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainable Development and 3) Climate Change and Adaptation through Local Knowledge Systems. The findings revealed that the empirical studies are lacking in the areas of conservation, ecology, adaptation and the studies connecting the biodiversity and indigenous knowledge.