Braiding traditional ecological knowledge and Western science in the management of freshwater social-ecological systems: a systematic map protocol.

BACKGROUND: Freshwater ecosystems are globally imperiled, with monitored vertebrate populations showing an average 83% decline since 1970. Braiding Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with Western science is increasingly recognized by global bodies like the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) as essential for achieving the transformative change needed to address this crisis. This systematic map provides a comprehensive, global synthesis of the diverse methodologies used for this purpose by answering the primary question: What is the evidence base for methodologies (approaches, frameworks, or models) that braid the TEK of Indigenous and local communities with Western science in the planning, management, monitoring, or assessment of freshwater social-ecological systems? The resulting synthesis is intended to empower researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to design more effective and equitable management strategies. METHODS: Following Collaboration for Environmental Evidence (CEE) guidelines, our protocol employs a multi-layered search strategy across three core bibliographic databases, targeted grey literature sources (including dissertations and key organizational websites), and a supplementary review-centric snowballing search. Records will be screened for eligibility in a two-stage process (Title/Abstract and Full-text) with robust consistency checking to ensure transparency and minimize bias. Data from included articles will be coded using a detailed protocol designed to answer our secondary questions and build a typology of knowledge braiding methodologies. The systematic map's outputs will include a narrative synthesis identifying knowledge gaps and clusters, a comprehensive public database of included studies, and a suite of interactive data visualizations.