Ethnobotanical study on indigenous knowledge of the Ha Nhi people published by UNESCO in the publication “Conservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Climate Action in the Asia-Pacific Region”
“Conservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Climate Action in the Asia-Pacific Region” is a recent prominent international publication of UNESCO to introduce and update research and practices related to intangible cultural heritage in building and developing climate change response capacity in the Asia-Pacific region. According to UNESCO, living heritage not only helps communities strengthen their sense of origin, connect members, maintain identity, etc., but is also an essential resource for sustainable development goals. In the context of increasingly negative global climate changes causing many losses globally, many communities have rediscovered and relied on heritage knowledge and practices to apply in disaster response and mitigation solutions. This is an approach that both contributes to preserving indigenous culture and ensures continuity through many generations, while demonstrating the close connection between heritage conservation and environmental protection.
UNESCO's publication also emphasizes that indigenous knowledge has been internationally recognized as an effective tool in enhancing climate change resilience. Through case studies from countries, UNESCO aims to promote dialogue on the protection of living heritage, while encouraging innovative solutions linked to action to respond to climate change. Among these, the work of the Vietnamese research team on the Ha Nhi people in Lao Cai has highlighted the values of indigenous knowledge passed down through generations in communities, the interaction between cultural heritage, ecological wisdom and current environmental challenges. This knowledge system has existed to help communities overcome challenges for centuries, continues to be effective in new contexts and affirms the role of traditional ecological knowledge in sustainable natural resource management. The research team’s work was presented at the Workshop on Intangible Cultural Heritage and Climate Change – Enhancing Knowledge Sharing and Networking in Asia and the Pacific, as part of the 9th International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Chengdu, China in June 2025.
Photo of the research team at the publication launch ceremony in Chengdu, China June 2025
With financial support from the “Research Support Program for Young Cadres” of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, the research team conducted a survey in Y Ty commune (Bat Xat district, Lao Cai) on the knowledge of forest resource use and management of the Black Ha Nhi people in the area. Here, the Ha Nhi people have maintained forest cover and protected the primeval forest area partly thanks to the system of customary laws, beliefs and valuable ethnobotanical knowledge. They classify forests into many groups according to their purposes, in which sacred forests play an important role in regulating water resources, preventing erosion and preserving biodiversity, and are strictly protected by village customary laws combined with State regulations on forest management and use.
This knowledge reflects the close connection between humans and nature, and demonstrates that intangible cultural heritage can become a practical solution in responding to climate change. Thanks to that, the Ha Nhi community has significantly reduced the impact of extreme events such as flash floods and landslides, while preserving water resources and climate-regulating watershed forests.
The study was selected for publication by UNESCO for its unique, interdisciplinary approach – combining botanical and anthropological research – to clarify the role of heritage as both a spiritual resource and a physical basis to help communities strengthen their resilience to the impacts of climate change.
The work appearing in UNESCO's international publication not only affirms the academic reputation of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, but also shows the importance of multidisciplinary scientific research in connecting heritage with climate action, shaping sustainable development strategies, harmonizing knowledge conservation, environmental protection and sustainable development.
Refer to the publication "Intangible cultural heritage preservationing and climate action in Asia and the Pacific" at: https://doi.org/10.58337/PXIC4199
Translated by Quoc Khanh
Link to Vietnamese version
