Developing a Conceptual Framework for Indigenous Knowledge-Based Adaptive Governance for Sustainable Management of Desert Ecosystems (A Case Study of Semnan Province, Iran)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economic, Social and Extension Research, Agricultural Research and Education Center and Natural Resources of Semnan Province, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Semnan, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Desert Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.

10.29252/aridbiom.2026.4244

Abstract

Natural resource governance in desert ecosystems requires adaptive and participatory approaches due to intensifying climate change, declining water resources, and increasing livelihood vulnerability among local communities. This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework for indigenous knowledge-based adaptive governance in the desert ecosystems of Semnan Province, Iran. The research employed a qualitative approach based on Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory methodology. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 25 local resource users, community elders, and natural resource management experts and analyzed using MAXQDA 2022. A total of 221 initial codes were identified and subsequently organized into axial categories and a paradigmatic model through constant comparison, integration, and conceptual abstraction. The findings indicated that ecological stresses, socioeconomic pressures, and institutional gaps create causal conditions for adaptive governance. This process develops within a context characterized by ecological fragility, social capital, and indigenous knowledge, while being shaped by institutional enabling and constraining factors. Key strategies include adaptive resource management, co-creation of indigenous and scientific knowledge, participatory governance, and strengthening customary institutions. These strategies contribute to enhanced ecological sustainability, greater social-ecological resilience, and improved effectiveness of natural resource management policies. The proposed framework demonstrates that adaptive governance in arid regions is a dynamic, learning-oriented, and multilevel process shaped by interactions among indigenous knowledge, social capacities, ecological conditions, and institutional arrangements. Considering the study context, this framework can provide a conceptual basis for developing participatory and knowledge-based approaches to sustainable desert ecosystem management. It emphasizes learning, institutional coordination, and context-sensitive decision-making across governance levels.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Arid Biome
Volume 15, Issue 2
September 2025
Pages 187-205

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