Bridging Knowledge Systems for Inclusive Sustainability: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

Abstract

Global sustainability efforts increasingly acknowledge the need to integrate diverse knowledge systems, including indigenous, local, and community-based insights that have evolved over centuries. Yet, mainstream academic and policy frameworks often underutilize these perspectives, hindering the potential for comprehensive solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequities. This perspective explores how structured cross-cultural collaboration can bridge power imbalances and enrich sustainability research and practice. Drawing from fieldwork experiences in regions such as Southern Africa and Southeast Asia, this perspective discusses barriers faced by local experts when engaging with international institutions, including resource inequities, language barriers, and systemic bias in peer review. This perspective argues that equitable partnerships require co-creation of research agendas, consensus on ethical data use, and rethinking how we define "rigor" in academic publishing. Additionally, digital platforms—while not a panacea—can facilitate more democratic forms of knowledge exchange when designed to accommodate limited connectivity and multilingual settings. This perspective also provides recommendations for policy reform, highlighting inclusive funding models, open-access publishing, and the adoption of broader evidence criteria by journals and granting agencies. By weaving together interdisciplinary research, success stories, and real-world case studies, this paper emphasizes that integrating multiple knowledge frameworks is not merely an ethical obligation, but a practical necessity for tackling today's global environmental and social challenges. Ultimately, the call is to expand epistemic horizons, recognizing that collective resilience depends on weaving together the threads of all knowledge systems into a more equitable tapestry of sustainable solutions.