Developing nations such as Fiji are grappling with how they can utilise their environmental resources to improve local living conditions while protecting the integrity of ecological systems. Different development approaches are adopted but in these areas, the environment is altered and polluted as a result of sustained human activities. The situation is challenging, as environmental resources have to be maintained to provide the services that are critical for sustainable development. In recent years the value and relevance of traditional knowledge has been acknowledged as people realised that such knowledge and wisdom have allowed people to live in their specific surroundings throughout history. This realisation has made people appreciate and acknowledge the value of traditional knowledge to ecosystem management. In this paper, the focus is to highlight some of the instances where people today can take advantage of traditional knowledge and incorporate it into science-based contemporary resource use strategies and methods. In this manner, bridges built to link traditional knowledge and science can contribute substantially to the attainment of sustainable development in some of the most important habitats and ecosystems occupied by traditional communities throughout the world. The Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) currently undertaken in different parts of the world is a valuable opportunity to document the influence of humans on the ecological systems and vice versa. The MA will provide useful new and specific examples from throughout the world to demonstrate the close relations between traditional societies and their environmental resources and the lessons that can be learnt from their experiences.