Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge Into Forest Governance: Pathways to Sustainable Development in Protected Forest Ecosystems

ABSTRACT Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of forest communities plays a vital role in sustainable development by sustaining biodiversity, enhancing climate resilience, securing livelihoods through practices such as sacred groves and agroforestry, and supporting integrated forest management (IFM). It directly advances SDGs 1, 2, 5, 13, 15, and 16 by promoting food security, gender equality, climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and strong institutional governance. Despite longstanding recognition of TEK's ecological value, limited attention has been given to how it is embedded within governance systems, particularly in major protected areas where institutional and sociopolitical dynamics shape the TEK–science–governance interface. Using the social–ecological systems (SES) framework and a mixed‐methods approach, this study examined four forest‐dependent communities in the Okwango Division of Cross River National Park, Nigeria. Findings reveal that although knowledge holders are predominantly middle‐aged men, women play critical roles in non‐timber forest products (NTFPs) management and intergenerational knowledge transfer, and long‐term married residents serve as key custodians of culturally embedded practices such as taboos, sacred sites, and agroforestry. However, TEK remains marginalized within centralized, state‐led governance structures characterized by minimal participation, insecure land tenure, and a lack of legal recognition. The study provides both theoretical and empirical insights into how TEK can be effectively integrated with scientific forest management to advance sustainable forest policy development. It concludes that embedding TEK within inclusive, legally recognized, and participatory hybrid governance systems can strengthen resilience, adaptive management, and equity and recommends legal recognition of customary tenure, co‐management frameworks, youth engagement, benefit‐sharing mechanisms, and cross‐sectoral partnerships to advance sustainable forest policy and conservation outcomes.