Synthesizing the Characteristics and Applications of Indigenous Knowledge for Sustainable Development: A Systematic Review

This study systematically reviewed the literature to define the characteristics and relevance of Indigenous knowledge (IK), revealing it to be local, community-owned, intergenerational, holistic, and largely tacit. The research was guided by the Boolean search logic and the Population or Problem, Interest, and Context (PICo) tool in formulating and creating the search terms, retrieval, and research questions for this review. The findings highlight IK’s significant contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In agriculture and food security (SDGs 1, 2, 12), IK promotes agroecology, mixed cropping, and seed preservation, supporting resilience against poverty and hunger. In health and well-being (SDG 3), traditional medicine and community health systems provide accessible, culturally relevant care. IK also enhances education (SDG 4) by integrating local epistemologies and experiential learning into the curriculum. In terms of gender equality (SDG 5), IK based enterprises empower women through artisanal and entrepreneurial activities. It fosters climate action (SDG 13) and biodiversity conservation (SDGs 14, 15) through sacred ecological practices, early warning systems, and sustainable resource use. Further, IK underpins peaceful institutions and justice (SDG 16) through customary governance, consensus-building, and dispute resolution mechanisms. It supports partnership for development (SDG 17) by promoting inclusive, locally grounded collaborations. This study fills a knowledge gap by linking IK to the SDGs and calls for its integration into policy-making, education, development planning, and research. Ensuring indigenous communities lead in managing and transmitting their knowledge is vital for sustainable and equitable global development.