There is a growing interest in documenting Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) for its intrinsic heritage value and its practical use in potentially supporting relevant and locally acceptable climate change adaptation.
Although a great deal of empirical research has been devoted to ILK, this type of knowledge has not yet been adequately articulated in adaptation and mitigation planning, especially in the Global South.
The challenge to ILK is in its preservation and transmission, together with a demonstration of its effectiveness. At the same time, the knowledge deficit on climate risk is compounded by the limited capacity of modern knowledge systems to capture the local context and community values and aspirations.
This poor articulation of local needs and expectations hinders the increased use of seemingly adequate scientific-led technologies. The tension between the two knowledge systems suggests the need for climate strategies to combine, in a balanced way both traditional and modern knowledge, particularly where they complement each other.
Indigenous knowledge, also referred to as traditional knowledge or traditional ecological knowledge, is a body of observations, oral and written knowledge, innovations, practices, and beliefs that promote sustainability and the responsible stewardship of cultural and natural resources through relationships between humans and their landscapes. Indigenous knowledge cannot be separated from the people connected to that knowledge.
It applies to phenomena across biological, physical, social, cultural, and spiritual systems.
Indigenous peoples have developed their knowledge systems over millennia, and continue to do so based on evidence acquired through direct contact with the environment, long-term experiences, extensive observations, lessons, and skills. This shows how important ILK is towards climate change adaptation efforts in Zimbabwe.
This knowledge only qualifies as indigenous if it has significantly contributed to the resolution of socio-environmental problems, including those relating to climate change and variability.
Indigenous people watch the activities occurring around them in many ways, and in the event of hazards, they use their knowledge of the environment and the other factors surrounding them to adapt to the threats.
Recent studies have established that indigenous people who live near natural resources notice the surrounding activity and identify and adjust to any changes in various ways.
The various meanings of specific birds, and the flowering of particular flora are correlated with the observed changes in communities.
These are indicators that communities use to ascertain that certain changes have occurred, and to anticipate certain environmental alterations that are, in most cases, related to climate change.
Indigenous people have utilised biodiversity as a buffer against variation, change, and catastrophe in the face of plague or any other type of environmental hazard.
It has also been documented that to adapt to the rapidly changing environmental conditions caused by excessive or low rainfall and drought, indigenous people in many parts of Africa diversify crop production and supplement these crops with hunting, fishing and gathering wild plants.
In this regard, indigenous knowledge is considered the basis for decision-making at the local level in rural areas.
It has relevance not only for the culture in which it develops, but also for scientists and planners who want to improve conditions in rural areas.
This shows that indigenous knowledge is the foundation for effective participation in any type of community development. In addition to land-based climate adaptation, effective strategies include climate proof crop adaptation.
For example, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has created pearl millet hybrids that can withstand high temperatures and produce normal yields with low amounts of water.
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Similarly, the Government through the agriculture ministry is promoting innovations and research towards the development of drought- and disease-resistant maize, sugarcane, and wheat cultivars with good yields.
Research shows that local people have their own ways of telling the onset of the rainfall season, while others believe that spirit mediums (masvikiro/mhondoro/ can foretell the amount of rainfall, the presence or absence of storms and thunder and lightning.
Traditional rain-making ceremonies were important in the past and the failure to observe practices could lead to drought and other disasters.
The Government employed ILK through the "Pfumvudza" which is a concept of conservation agriculture (CA) that is designed to meet food security for an average household of six members over one year.
It continues to support the use of ILK to support climate change adaptation in Zimbabwe.
