CInternational Symposium at Chiang Mai University Calls for Stronger Recognition of Indigenous Knowledge in Global Conservation
Chiang Mai University, Thailand – November 5, 2025
An international symposium at Chiang Mai University concluded today, bringing together leading scholars, conservation experts, and Indigenous practitioners from around the world. The event focused on the full recognition of indigeneity as a relational and powerful way of understanding and caring for the Earth, a message that comes at a pivotal moment during Forestry Week in Chiang Mai and just days before COP 30.
Co-organized with CY Cergy Paris University, the symposium emphasized the critical role of sacred forests and spiritual landscapes in sustainable environmental management—both in Thailand and globally. Participants highlighted that caring for biodiversity is not only a matter of ecology, but also deeply connected to culture, identity, and spiritual relationships with landscapes.
Indigenous Stewardship at the Center of Conservation
Speakers underscored that Indigenous peoples have long served as guardians of biodiversity through practices that sustain both ecosystems and communities. Participants called for global conservation frameworks—such as the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (30×30)—to formally recognize and embed Indigenous knowledge and community-led approaches.
The event concluded with a unifying message: A sustainable future depends on honoring Indigenous wisdom, supporting local stewardship, and recognizing spiritual landscapes within conservation policy.
A Global Gathering
Titled “State-of-the-Art on Heritage Conservation Policies of Sacred Forests and Spiritual Landscapes in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot and Southeast Asia’s Terrestrial Ecoregions,” the symposium brought together 30 participants representing more than 20 countries across five continents.
The event was organized by Dr. Alessandra Manzini of the PLACES Lab, CY Cergy Paris University, under the SPIRAL project (funded by the EUTOPIA SIF Alliance), and connected to the BA Heritage Project (funded by the British Academy), led by Dr. Marco J. Haenssgen at Chiang Mai University.
Keynote Insights: Sacred Forests as Ancient Conservation Systems
Keynote speaker Prof. Shonil Bhagwat (The Open University, UK) opened the symposium by highlighting the conservation significance of cultural landscapes:
“Sacred forest systems possess multiple properties of deep antiquity, often spanning several centuries, fostering an unmatched resilience and acting as persistent reservoirs of biocultural diversity. These spiritual sites represent the oldest protected areas in the world, predating modern state-based conservation by millennia.”
A Diverse Panel of Experts
The symposium featured an exceptional lineup of speakers, including:
- Dr. M.K.S. Pasha (IUCN Asia)
- Prof. B.K. Tiwari (North-Eastern Hill University, India)
- Prasert Trakansuphakorn (Pgakenyaw Association for Sustainable Development, Thailand)
- Asst. Prof. Dr. Koustab Majumdar (RKMVERI, India & York University, Canada)
- Sandy Leo (University of Indonesia)
- Nining Liswanti (CIFOR–ICRAF)
- Dr. Ashley Massey Marks (School of the Holy Child)
- Dr. Alison Ormsby (Adventure Scientists)
- Dr. Pao Vue (USDA Forest Service)
- Dr. David Hecht (University of Georgia)
- Dr. Alexander Greene
- Dr. Lily Zeng (Government of Canada)
- Asst. Prof. Dr. Suwichan (Ethnic Wisdom Foundation, Thailand)
Together, they contributed rich academic and Indigenous perspectives on how culture, spirituality, and ecology shape sustainable futures.
A Call for Heritage-Sensitive, Adaptive Policies
Event organizer Dr. Alessandra Manzini emphasized the urgent need to incorporate Indigenous ecological practices into global conservation policies:
“The uniqueness and diversity of cosmoecologies entangled with sacred forests have both spatial and practical implications for everyday livelihoods. The symposium highlights how indigeneity must be embraced through adaptive, heritage-sensitive policy frameworks that prioritize biocultural balance as a foundation for conservation goals.”
Dr. Manzini noted that the SPIRAL project aims to advance decolonial research methods, focusing on how the lived realities and ecological relationships of 12 small-scale societies can guide effective, heritage-sensitive conservation governance—rather than imposing external models.
However, while Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) are widely recognized as vital stewards, participants stressed that they face growing challenges in protecting their heritage, practices, and self-determination. The symposium identified three major, interconnected constraints—urging policymakers to take action (you can expand this section if needed).
About the Projects
The BA Heritage Project
“Towards Heritage-Sensitive Climate Change Mitigation Policy: Impulses from Indigenous Practice in Thailand”
Funded by the British Academy (grant ref. IOCRG\101013), this project is hosted at Chiang Mai University and led by Dr. Marco J. Haenssgen. Running from June 2024 to March 2026, it tests co-developed, heritage-sensitive forest conservation approaches to support the essential role of Indigenous peoples in tropical climate change mitigation.
The SPIRAL Project
Funded by the EUTOPIA SIF Alliance (grant agreement 945380), the SPIRAL project explores spiritual landscapes and sustainable management practices across 72 societies. With major case studies in Indo-Burma (Northern Thailand) and the Diola territories of Lower Casamance (South Senegal, Northern Guinea-Bissau), and another forthcoming in the Tropical Andes, the project aims to reshape sustainability thinking by integrating relational ontologies and eco-spiritual worldviews to support biocultural diversity.