The use of indigenous knowledge systems for short and long range rainfall prediction and farmers’ perceptions of science-based seasonal forecasts in Zimbabwe

Purpose This paper aims to document indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) used for short- and long-range rainfall prediction by small holder farmers in three communities of Guruve District, in north-eastern Zimbabwe. The study also investigated farmers’ perceptions of contemporary forecasts and the reliability of both IKS and contemporary forecasts. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected among small holder farmers in Guruve District using household interviews and focus group discussions in three wards in the district, grouped according to their agro-climate into high and low rainfall areas. To get an expert view of the issues, key informant interviews were held with key agricultural extension personnel and traditional leaders. Findings Results obtained showed show high dependence on IKS-based forecasts in the district. Over 80 per cent of the farmers used at least one form of IKS for short- and long-range forecasting, as they are easily understood and applicable to their local situations. Tree phenology, migration and behaviour of some bird species and insects, and observation of atmospheric phenomena were the common indicators used. Tree phenology was the most common with over 80 per cent of farmers using this indicator. While some respondents (60 per cent) viewed forecasts derived from IKS as more reliable than science-based forecasts, 69 per cent preferred an integration of the two methods. Originality/value The simplicity and location specificity of IKS-based forecasts makes them potentially useful to smallholder farmers, climate scientists and policymakers in tracking change in these areas for more effective climate change response strategies and policymaking.

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Sunshine, temperature and wind

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management ◽

10.1108/ijccsm-04-2019-0023 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 22-38

Author(s):

Dramani J.M. File ◽

Emmanuel Kanchebe Derbile

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Indigenous Knowledge ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

Endogenous Development ◽

Content Type ◽

The Past ◽

Vulnerability To Climate Change ◽

Vulnerability Assessments ◽

Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Purpose This paper aims to draw on community risk assessment (CRA) for assessing vulnerability to climate change in north-western Ghana, focusing on sunshine, temperature and wind, elements of climate which are seldom explored in vulnerability assessments to climate change. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on data collected from a qualitative research design that used participatory rural appraisal methods, particularly, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and seasonal calendar analysis in three selected rural communities of the Sissala East District. Furthermore, an inter-generational framework was adopted for comparative assessment of vulnerability and changes in vulnerability to climate change. Findings The results show that the current generation of smallholder farmers is more vulnerable to climate change than the past generation, the era of grandparents. Thus, farmers are exposed to higher-intensity sunshine, temperature and wind in contemporary times than was the case in the past. Consequently, their livelihoods are affected the most by the damaging effects of these climatic hazards. The CRA process revealed the relevance of indigenous knowledge systems for vulnerability assessments and at the same time, underpins the need for adaptation of such knowledge if it is to sustain smallholder farmer efforts at climate change adaptation at community levels. Practical implications The paper recommends an endogenous development approach to climate change adaptation planning (CCAP), one that will build on indigenous knowledge systems for effective community education, mobilization and participatory response to climate change. Policy interventions should aim at enhancing climate change adaptation through innovations in soil and water conservation, access to water for irrigation and domestic use, climate smart-housing architecture and agro-forestry within the framework of decentralization and district development planning. Originality/value This paper will contribute to climate change research in two ways: first, by drawing attention to the usefulness of CRA in vulnerability assessment; and second, by focusing on climate elements which are critical for CCAP but rarely given sufficient attention in vulnerability assessments.

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Colonizing Innovation:

Conference Proceedings of the Academy for Design Innovation Management ◽

10.33114/adim.2019.01.261 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Abhinav CHATURVEDI ◽

Alf REHN

Keyword(s):

Indigenous Knowledge ◽

Postcolonial Theory ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

Frugal Innovation ◽

Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽

Management Literature

Innovation is one of the most popular concepts and desired phenomena of contemporary Western capitalism. As such, there is a perennial drive to capture said phenomena, and particularly to find new ways to incite and drive the same. In this text, we analyze one specific tactic through which this is done, namely by the culturally colonial appropriation of indigenous knowledge systems. By looking to how jugaad, a system of frugal innovation in India, has been made into fodder for Western management literature, we argue for the need of a more developed innovation critique, e.g., by looking to postcolonial theory.

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Indigenous Environmental Justice, Knowledge, and Law

Kalfou A Journal of Comparative and Relational Ethnic Studies ◽

10.15367/kf.v5i2.213 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Deborah McGregor

Keyword(s):

Environmental Justice ◽

Indigenous Knowledge ◽

Knowledge Systems ◽

Indigenous Worldviews ◽

Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽

The World ◽

Innovative Approaches

This article aims to introduce a distinct conception of Indigenous environmental justice (IEJ) based on Indigenous legal orders, knowledge systems, and conceptions of justice. This is not to suggest in any way that the existing environmental justice (EJ) scholarship is flawed; in fact, the scholarship and activism around EJ have been central in diagnosing and drawing attention to injustices that occur on a systematic basis everywhere in the world. This article argues instead that such discussions can be expanded by acknowledging that concepts of environmental justice, including distinct legal orders informed by Indigenous knowledge systems, already existed on Turtle Island for thousands of years prior to the arrival of Europeans. It also suggests that environmental justice framed within Indigenous worldviews, ontologies, and epistemologies may make significant contributions to broader EJ scholarship, particularly in relation to extending justice to other beings and entities in Creation. This approach acknowledges ongoing colonialism and emphasizes the need to decolonize in order to advance innovative approaches to IEJ.

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