Dependency and subsistence are key conceptions between indigenous groups. They are representations of the physical, emotional, spiritual and cultural elements that shape environmental, social and economic factors. Understanding these traditional conceptions implies the recognition that wealth and prosperity is perceived differently among indigenous. One of the principles concerning indigenous welfare and subsistence livelihoods is the sustainability of resources. Sustainability is usually achieved from regulations on land use thorough conservation and restoration practices. In other words, there is a tendency to maintain the balance of ecosystems in order to keep the natural dynamic of biological systems which are sources of crop production and food security. Therefore, managing natural resources is commonly oriented to guarantee livelihoods’ stability, involving human, economic and environmental solutions for present and future generations.
Historically, sustainability models among indigenous groups have given distinct abilities and capacities to cope with climate and environmental change. The origin of traditional knowledge is directly and deeply associated with the relationship between indigenous, nature and the geographical sphere where they dwell. Understanding nature and the scale of transformations of physical and biological systems provide important elements that can be applied for future solutions in a climate change context. Working in synergy with indigenous groups may signify the identification of indicators and patterns observed over time. This can be encountered within productive systems including agriculture, food and forest management, which are dependent on the level of rainfall, land use and other biophysical processes. However, over the past years, industrial developments have transformed the natural balance of resources. As dependent and subsistence societies, these transitions represent hazardous elements that can expose them to vulnerability factors, reducing the capacity to managing the risks of environmental and climate variability. These conditions can be perceived within the calendar systems that have ancestrally guided indigenous groups as monitoring instruments to adequately respond to shocks and guarantee the stability of food security and livelihoods. Thus, as subsistence societies, the level of dependency on natural resources is recognized as a pathway to adaption principles; however, it might represent a barrier when industrial developments and other anthropogenic factors shape the sustainability of biological and physical systems.
One of the alternatives that indigenous knowledge can deliver has its origin in the diversity of landscapes and ecosystems where they inhabit. These values are commonly protected and dynamically restored through conservation practices and natural resource management, which include the following aspects: diversification of crops, observations of biophysical changes in the natural environment, relocation strategies to land restoration and regeneration, seasonal ploughing, land selective fishing, among others. Thus, the impacts of climate change on communities and ecosystems would be majorly noted where these management approaches are poorly developed. Likewise, when the capacity to cope with climatic and environmental transformations have been shaped by uncontrolled deforestation and land degradation. Other pressures involve historical vulnerabilities such as food insecurity, water scarcity, monoculture and hazardous events in coastal areas. Under these conditions, the application of mitigation strategies through hard infrastructure, emergency responses or short term initiatives might be insufficient. Therefore, it is required the identification of local communities values within their livelihoods, in order to explore resilience opportunities and developing adaptive capacities that bring opportunities for innovations, sustainable preparatory arrangements and more technical improvements.
In sum, the identification of indigenous values and the traditional knowledge that have supported historical livelihood stability in times of rapid climatic and environmental transitions, might represent a milestone tool in a climate change context. As dependency and subsistence are common characteristics across traditional groups, solutions can be built if new forms of knowledge are constructed and incorporated within the scientific field. Co-production of knowledge and integrative collaborative models may facilitate the identification of sustainable mechanisms for the enhancement of biophysical and socio economic assets. Additionally, the application of innovative and technological procedures into assets at risk, may support livelihoods’ stability, reducing climatic vulnerabilities and promoting natural resource sustainability.