When it comes to keeping the impacts of disaster at bay, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel—in fact, incorporating old wisdom can keep even efforts on track according to a just-released report from the United Nations’ International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.

The report, called Indigenous Knowledge for Disaster Risk Reduction: Good Practices and Lessons Learned from Experiences in the Asia-Pacific Region, looks at 18 examples of how indigenous strategies, oral traditions, and adaptation have reduced disaster risk. Incorporating indigenous techniques—often characterized by self-sufficiency, natural knowledge, and informal but effective dissemination—in disaster reduction strategies can lead to more robust and well-received efforts and a better understanding of local threats and how to address them, according to the report.

From earthquake-safe traditional buildings in Kashmir to flood preparedness in Pakistan, the study provides specific cases and lessons learned from cultures independent of modern technology. The full report is available online.