amir saberi; ismaiel karami dehkordi
Abstract
In the course of realization of constant development of villages with people-based orientation aiming at their empowerment, the native knowledge is the most significant part of development in terms of local beliefs, values, methods and knowledge. Experience shows that not only is the native knowledge ...
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In the course of realization of constant development of villages with people-based orientation aiming at their empowerment, the native knowledge is the most significant part of development in terms of local beliefs, values, methods and knowledge. Experience shows that not only is the native knowledge not inconsistent with the official one, but it can also complement it. Native knowledge is accessible, comprehensible, efficient, and inexpensive and is transmitted orally. This knowledge has been dynamic, has completed in nature and local communities, is consistent with native and regional conditions and has helped villagers in stable management of water-yielding places so that they would have more active role in development of natural sources. The present study aims at evaluating the level of knowledge of villagers in the field of water and soil protection technology. The data are gathered through using focused groups, interviews, questionnaires along with participation of experts of water-yielding areas of Shahid Rajaie Yanser, Mazandaran Province. The findings show that the primary living facilities in most villages under study are at an average level and that villages in different areas have various climate and weather. Also, the heavy dependence of villagers on natural sources and limitations in family income sources has led to pressurizing and destruction of natural sources. Experts consider destruction of jungles and grasslands, floods, decrease in water sources and shortage of water supply, soil erosion, accumulation of sediments behind dams and destruction of river edges as the most important crises related to natural sources. They believe that utilizers should have great skill and knowledge when it comes to occurrence, reasons and significance of such crises and also significance of operations of water-yielding utilization and its protection. This paper reveals that evaluations and prioritizations of experts are quite different from the evaluations made based on popular knowledge. In many cases the knowledge and information of people about ecosystems and species they are in contact with are less than what is really there. Therefore, the most important educational prioritization should deal with native knowledge and establishment of interaction between the native and official knowledge. In the world industrialization process, agricultural section, especially in the third world has witnessed the most damages, because native methods have left their once tried experience.
