The planetary crisis—manifested through climatechange, biodiversity loss, and resource inequities—is deeply rooted in dominant epistemologies that prioritize extractive,anthropocentric, and technocentric worldviews. Addressing these crises requires transformative approaches to knowledgegovernance that bridge scientific research with Indigenous andlocal knowledge systems in ways that are holistic and action-oriented (Bhandari, 2023c; Bhandari, 2025c). Several frameworks support meaningful integration of diverseknowledge systems. The co-production of knowledge framework emphasizes collaboration across epistemologies through joint problem definition, data collection, and solution development, treating Indigenous Peoples and local communities as equal partners with recognized authority and long-term stewardship over ecosystems (Bhandari, 2023a; Folke et al., 2005). The Multiple Evidence Base (MEB) approach, promoted by IPBES, complements this by allowing Indigenous and local knowledge to coexist alongside scientific knowledge without requiring validation through scientific standards, thereby enriching the collective understanding of socio-ecological systems (Tengö et al., 2014; Norström et al., 2020).
Medani P. Bhandari (Sun,) studied this question.