scholarly journals Indigenous Knowledge Systems and the Teaching of Climate Change in Zimbabwean Secondary Schools

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824401988514
Author(s):  
Vincent Itai Tanyanyiwa
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Indigenous Education ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Teaching Learning

Indigenous African education grew out of the immediate environment, real or imaginary, where people had knowledge of the environment. Indigenous education inculcated a religious attitude that imbued courtesy, generosity, and honesty. At colonization, Africans were thought of as primitive although they had their own systems, contents, and methods of education. Colonialism signified the decline in the importance of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS). By shifting focus in the core curriculum from teaching/learning based on Western science to teaching/learning through IKS as a foundation for all education, it is anticipated that all forms of knowledge, ways of knowing, and world views be acknowledged as equally valid, adaptable, and complementary to one another in equally valuable ways. The uniqueness of indigenous people and their knowledge is inextricably connected to their lands, which are situated primarily at the social-ecological margins of human habitation such as tropical forests and desert margins. It is at these margins that the consequences of climate change manifest themselves in the following sectors: agriculture, pastoralism, fishing, hunting and gathering, and other subsistence activities, including access to water. Government policies in Zimbabwe often limit options and thus undermine indigenous peoples’ efforts to adapt. IKS is very important for community-based adaptation and mitigation actions in the agricultural sector for maintenance of resilience of social-ecological systems at a local level. This article, through interviews, document analysis, and personal observations, proposes that it is best for Zimbabwe to develop her own climate change curricula and modes of delivery that incorporates IKS.

scholarly journals Indigenous knowledge systems based climate governance in water and land resource management in rural Zimbabwe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. S. Mugambiwa ◽  
J. C. Makhubele
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Land Resource ◽  
Climate Governance ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Abstract This paper interrogates indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) based climate governance in water and land resource management in under-resourced areas of Zimbabwe. Water and land resources are fundamental for smallholder farmers and their productivity. The concept of IKS plays a significant role in climate change adaptation in Zimbabwe's rural communities. Climate change has a considerable influence on the success of agricultural production in the rural communities of Zimbabwe. Hence, it becomes fundamental to assess the community-based methods of climate governance. Qualitative multiple case study exploratory designs were employed with data collected through individual interviews with smallholder farmers, and thematic content analysis was used to analyse data. This study found that enhancing and embracing IKS is of paramount importance for inclusion in local-level strategies in the development process with special reference to climate governance in water and land resource management, particularly in under-resourced communities. It also established that the use of IKS enhances communities' adaptive capacity and it should not be conducted at the expense of scientific methods but rather it should be employed in order to complement the existing scientific global knowledge systems.

scholarly journals Adaptation measures to sustain indigenous practices and the use of indigenous knowledge systems to adapt to climate change in Mutoko rural district of Zimbabwe

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shingirai S. Mugambiwa
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Rural District ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Crop Type ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Type Change

This article examines adaptation measures used to sustain indigenous practices and the use of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) to adapt to climate change in Mutoko rural district of Zimbabwe. Community-based adaptation is able to reduce the vulnerability as well as improve the resilience of the local people to climatic variability and change. Subsistence farmers have always adopted adaptive strategies to some of these changes over the years. As such, the adoption of indigenous practices will significantly help rural community members to adapt to climate change. This study employed a qualitative method and an exploratory design, and the results are derived from 30 purposively selected in-depth interviews. The study discovered that there are numerous measures used to adapt to climate change and subsequently to sustain indigenous practices. The study also found that the community no longer grows maize in large quantities, having shifted to millet and sorghum in order to adapt to climate change. The community also provided various strategies to adapt to climate change. These strategies include mulching, creating large storage houses for produce and creating temporary walls on riverbanks in order to store water when the rivers dry up. This study concludes that climate change adaptation measures employed by the community have significantly helped them to sustain their indigenous practices in many ways. Also, the use of IKS, through activities such as crop type change from maize to traditional millet and sorghum (which facilitates traditional lifestyle and activities), re-establishes the community’s indigenous practices since they are made to observe the practices of yesteryear.

Researching Indigenous Ways of Knowing-and-Being

2017 ◽  
pp. 22-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norma Ruth Arlene Romm
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Relational Thinking ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Indigenous Ways Of Knowing

This chapter focuses on exploring the contributions of indigenous-oriented relational thinking-and-being in terms of implications for the quality of social living and for sustaining relationships with everything in our ecological niche. It offers an account of how we can treat Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) as envisaging socio-economic development differently from economic models of growth which thus far can be said to govern processes of globalization. The chapter attempts to demonstrate that resuscitating IKS is not so much a matter of researchers' documenting and respecting the content of indigenous knowledge that has been created to date. More important is to direct research with the aim of drawing out and revitalizing the styles of knowing and living that can be interpreted as characterizing indigeneity. Examples are provided of how research can be directed with this in mind.

Researching Indigenous Ways of Knowing-and-Being

2020 ◽  
pp. 407-434
Author(s):  
Norma Ruth Arlene Romm
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Knowledge Systems ◽  
Relational Thinking ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge Systems ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Indigenous Ways Of Knowing

This chapter focuses on exploring the contributions of indigenous-oriented relational thinking-and-being in terms of implications for the quality of social living and for sustaining relationships with everything in our ecological niche. It offers an account of how we can treat Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) as envisaging socio-economic development differently from economic models of growth which thus far can be said to govern processes of globalization. The chapter attempts to demonstrate that resuscitating IKS is not so much a matter of researchers' documenting and respecting the content of indigenous knowledge that has been created to date. More important is to direct research with the aim of drawing out and revitalizing the styles of knowing and living that can be interpreted as characterizing indigeneity. Examples are provided of how research can be directed with this in mind.

scholarly journals Sunshine, temperature and wind

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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