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Weathering Uncertainty: Traditional Knowledge for Climate Change Assessment and Adaptation
Abstract
When considering climate change, indigenous peoples and marginalized populations warrant particular attention. Impacts on their territories and communities are anticipated to be both early and severe due to their location in vulnerable environments, including small islands, high-altitude zones, desert margins and the circumpolar Arctic. Indeed, climate change poses a direct threat to many indigenous societies due to their continuing reliance upon resource-based livelihoods. Heightened exposure to negative impacts, however, is not the only reason for specific attention and concern. As many indigenous societies are socially and culturally distinct from mainstream society, decisions, policies and actions undertaken by the majority, even if well-intended, may prove inadequate, ill-adapted, and even inappropriate. There is therefore a need understand the specific vulnerabilities, concerns, adaptation capacities and longer-term aspirations of indigenous peoples and marginalized communities throughout the world. Indigenous and traditional knowledge contribute to this broader understanding.
Indigenous and rural peoples, however, are not only potential victims of global climate change. Attentiveness to environmental variability, shifts and trends is an integral part of their ways of life. Community-based and local knowledge may offer valuable insights into environmental change due to climate change, and complement broader-scale scientific research with local precision and nuance. Indigenous societies have elaborated coping strategies to deal with unstable environments, and in some cases, are already actively adapting to early climate change impacts. While the transformations due to climate change are expected to be unprecedented, indigenous knowledge and coping strategies provide a crucial foundation for community-based adaptation measures.
This publication reviews the rapidly growing scientific literature on the contributions of indigenous and traditional knowledge to understanding climate change vulnerability, resilience and adaptation.
... Peoples adaptation, and resilience and achieving long-term goals (Nakashima et al. 2012). Current practices often treat Indigenous knowledge as mere data to be aggregated and used in decision-making without recognizing Indigenous sovereignty and rights (Petzold et al. 2020;David-Chavez and Gavin 2018). ...
... Arctic Indigenous Peoples possess deep knowledge about the Arctic environment, which they use to forecast weather conditions and integrate into their daily lives, as well as traditional cultural practices and adaptations to climate change ; Weatherhead, Gearheard, and Barry 2010; Eerkes-Medrano and . Indigenous observations and interpretations of meteorological phenomena have long been instrumental in guiding the seasonal and interannual activities of local communities for thousands of years (Nakashima et al. 2012). ...
... The social-ecological resilience required to effectively cope with heightened variability, unpredictability, and adapt to change is facilitated by diverse knowledge systems, community-based institutions, effective social networks, diversification, and adaptive co-management (Galappaththi et al. 2021). The presence of traditional governance systems and social networks further enhances the collective capacity to effectively respond to environmental transformations, thereby augmenting overall resilience (Nakashima et al. 2012). ...
Climate change is a critical global issue with far‐reaching implications for the environment, society, and economy. Political ecology examines the relationship between political systems, social inequalities, and ecological concerns in relation to climate change. It focuses on how power dynamics, resource allocation, and political decisions influence vulnerability, adaptation, and mitigation efforts, highlighting the intersectionality between politics, ecology, and climate change impacts. Climate change in the Arctic is having profound geopolitical, environmental, and socioeconomic impacts on Indigenous Peoples. However, few, if any, studies have examined these interactions from a political ecology standpoint. Herein, we review and analyze the complex relationships and power dynamics that shape and are shaped by climate change in the Arctic through a political ecology lens, developing an understanding of how political, economic, and social factors interact to drive climate change impacts and responses. We introduce the term Arctic Political Ecology to understand these dynamics. The paper examines the significance of Indigenous knowledge, environmental governance, and Indigenous Peoples' sovereignty in control over productive resources, promoting sustainable practices, and addressing the challenges posed by climate change. We highlight the need for a comprehensive approach that considers the political ecology of climate change in the Arctic to understand the interplay of capitalism, colonialism, and resource exploitation.
... In general, it is easier for local inhabitants to identify environmental changes in specific locations, such as changes in the use of land, biodiversity loss, biological invasions, and floods, because these occur at local level and they impact directly on their lifestyle (Wolverton et al. 2014). In many cases, the identification of these environmental changes results in practices, knowledge, and values regarding the environment which are utilized by local communities (Nakashima et al. 2012). ...
... Local communities tend to develop strategies to face unstable environments and, in some cases, they have actively adapted to the initial repercussions that environmental change has had (Nakashima et al. 2012). In this respect, subsistence ways of life tend to be small-scaled, diversified, and based on a variety of specialized abilities. ...
... In this respect, subsistence ways of life tend to be small-scaled, diversified, and based on a variety of specialized abilities. Mastering various survival skills is a valuable resource, which enables recovery during times of uncertainty and change (Nakashima et al. 2012). Diversification, in fact, helps absorb the shock caused by variability. ...
The symposium’s theme “Environmental Change and Local Knowledge” focuses on the problems of environmental change from the perspective of local actors in Latin America. The purpose is to generate exchange of experiences considering methodological and pragmatic criteria. We will include the analysis of local knowledge and its application to different problems. The contributions will focus on case studies contextualized in socio-environmental contexts. We will also observe which methodologies are most appropriate for these studies and what difficulties and challenges arise, what are the strengths, and how we can contribute from an interdisciplinary perspective to the resolution of environmental problems. We also promote work that aims to revalue local knowledge, assuming that community knowledge is diverse, innovative, and effective in solving social and environmental problems. From this perspective, we will observe how communities perceive and identify environmental changes and what strategies they have adopted in the face of unstable and emerging environments. Finally, we reflect on the relationships between environmental change, local knowledge, and the design of community intervention programs that articulate with national, international, or other civil organizations’ public and scientific policies.
... It is the basis for locallevel decision-making in many rural communities [8]. It is valuable for the culture and scientists and planners striving to improve the well-being of rural areas [9]. Incorporating IK into climate change policies can lead to cost-effective, participatory and sustainable adaptation [10]. ...
... The most reliable indicators are the intensity, timing and duration of low temperatures during the beginning of the dry season [7]. Other forecasting indicators include the timing of fruiting of certain local trees, the water level in ponds and streams, the nesting and migratory patterns of birds and insect behaviour in waste heaps [9]. ...
African farming societies have always survived changing environmental shocks. Enhancing indigenous capacity is key to effective participation in the development process in the era of global climate change. Inadequate information flow between farmers and weather scientists has brought ethno-meteorological knowledge to the limelight for climate change adaptation in rural areas. This study assesses indigenous farmers' responses to climate change on the Bui Plateau. Data sources included field observations and questionnaires (N=597) in the seven agroecological basins of the Bui Plateau. Results showed that farmers make informed decisions on cropping cycles based on the behaviour of plants and animals, consultation of local weather seers, and community leaders and the behaviour of streams. Traditional responses may not adequately address climate change uncertainties, but they can lead to sustainable responses in the longer term. Instead of using indigenous knowledge solely or neglecting it, its integration into climate change policies can lead to cost-effective adaptation. Indigenous knowledge delivers appropriate entry points for climate change adaptation.
... Berkes, et al. [37] defined TEK as the generation, accumulation, and transmission of knowledge including the adaptive management of local ecological resources. Nakashima [38] hold a similar view of TEK as "knowledge and know-how accumulated across generations, and renewed by each new generation, which guides human societies in their innumerable interactions with their surrounding environment". Berkes [34] contends that "TEK is a cumulative body of knowledge and beliefs, handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with their environment." ...
This study investigates the influence of Local Ecological Culture (LEC) on the pursuit of a meaningful life among communities residing adjacent to Mabira Forest in Uganda. Employing a mixed-method approach, the research explores the interplay between these communities and their environment, focusing on whether forest conservation practices are driven by immediate utilitarian benefits (shallow happiness) or by deeper ecological values (deep happiness). The study introduces key concepts such as "deep happiness" and Ubuntu to analyze how these communities conceptualize a meaningful life in relation to their ecological context. A principal components analysis (PCA) of the field data reveals three core dimensions of LEC: functional relationships with nature, environmental stewardship, and the notion of an embedded life. The findings indicate that both men and women, across various age groups, uphold strong commitments to ecological sustainability and community well-being, although distinct patterns of engagement emerge according to gender and age. This research highlights the pivotal role of local cultural practices in supporting environmental conservation and emphasizes the potential for community-based approaches to sustainability. By integrating LEC with broader conservation frameworks and sustainable livelihood strategies, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how cultural values can inform environmental management in forest-dependent communities. The results offer critical insights for developing conservation policies that incorporate local ecological knowledge, promoting both environmental resilience and socio-economic sustainability.
... Indigenous communities engaged in farming around the world have accumulated traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) across generations (Siragusa & Arzyutov, 2020;Madonsela et al., 2024), and it has evolved adaptively too, thereby streamlining efficiency and resilience in farming (Berkes, 2012;Nakashima et al., 2012). ...
Agricultural waste management is a significant challenge in the context of climate change and environmental sustainability. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) has fostered effective resource management culturally over the years among farmers. However, there is a lack of research on how traditional ecological knowledge based practices can contribute towards climate action policies with respect to resource management. In this context, the current qualitative study was undertaken to assess the potential of indigenous/ traditional agricultural waste management practices in promoting resource sustainability and climate resilience, thereby analysing their ability to enhance the efficacy of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in India. The research was carried out in three states of India, namely Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. A total of eleven farmers were selected through purposive random sampling and interviewed in-depth using semi-structured questionnaires, out of which the responses of nine farmers were included in the final data, after screening. Proper qualitative analysis of the data using thematic analysis method revealed that the farmers commonly preferred and adopted in-situ, location-specific traditional practices for agricultural waste management, thus ensuring better resource optimisation and sustainability. Traditional practices like the use of paddy straw as manure, vermicompost, traditional cisterns, Jeevamirtham, and Panchagavya have strengthened the commitment of TEK-based practices towards sustainability. The findings emphasized the integration of modern and traditional practices of agricultural waste management, combined with community-based initiatives, to better achieve the objectives of NAPCC. The insights suggested that promotion of traditional practices of agricultural waste management requires better incentives for farmers, more community based interventions by the government, and participatory decision-making with multiple stakeholders. Climate action can be enhanced by creation of traditional knowledge networks, online database, formulation of innovative hybrid models for agricultural waste management and promotion of community efforts to collectively enhance climate change adaptation in agriculture under the ageis of NAPCC. Traditional Ecological Knowledge should be rightfully incorporated into NAPCC to promote sustainability, strengthen climate resilience, thereby fostering a stronger policy framework.
... Our data show that local knowledge can offer an additional and robust way of observing climate change (see also 18,41,42 ) providing insights that can inform research in three important ways. First, humans often observe multiple changes in rainfall patterns at one location and often associate changes with other environmental indicators (e.g., prevailing wind direction); as such, their ecological knowledge could aid in designing multifactor indices of rainfall behaviour. ...
Shifting precipitation regimes are a well-documented and pervasive consequence of climate change. Subsistence-oriented communities worldwide can identify changes in rainfall patterns that most affect their lives. Here we scrutinize the importance of human-based rainfall observations (collated through a literature review spanning from 1994 to 2013) as climate metrics and the relevance of instrument-based precipitation indices to subsistence activities. For comparable time periods (1955-2005), changes observed by humans match well with instrumental records at same locations for well-established indices of rainfall (72% match), drought (76%), and extreme rainfall (81%), demonstrating that we can bring together human and instrumental observations. Many communities (1114 out of 1827) further identify increased variability and unpredictability in the start, end, and continuity of rainy seasons, all of which disrupt the cropping calendar, particularly in the Tropics. These changes in rainfall patterns and predictability are not fully captured by existing indices, and their social-ecological impacts are still understudied.
... Los estudios cualitativos han puesto de manifiesto la importancia de los conocimientos locales como herramienta para comprender y contrarrestar la crisis climática (Camacho-Villa et al. 2021;Fernández-Llamazares et al. 2014;Ortiz, Toledo 2012;Nakashima et al. 2012) 79 . ...
Esta tesis es el resultado de una investigación etnográfica realizada entre octubre y diciembre de 2021 en la comunidad nahua de San Isidro Buensuceso, ubicada en la ladera sur del volcán La Malinche, en el estado de Tlaxcala, México. El objetivo del trabajo fue investigar el impacto y la percepción local de la crisis climática y ambiental en la comunidad, con un enfoque en el conocimiento ecológico local, fundamental a nivel comunitario para leer, comprender y adaptarse a los cambios que se están produciendo. A nivel teórico, el trabajo se basa en las reflexiones de autores que han cuestionado la relación entre el conocimiento subalterno y el oficial, con los objetivos de sacar a la luz las relaciones de poder que han guiado su relación a lo largo de la historia y establecer un diálogo igualitario y transdisciplinar entre ambas formas de conocimiento. En particular, el punto de partida teórico lo representan las reflexiones de Ramón Grosfoguel (2013) sobre el extractivismo epistémico y cognitivo, las de Vandana Shiva (2007) sobre bioprospección y biopiratería, y las de Boaventura de Sousa Santos sobre el epistemicidio y la urgencia de configurar una Epistemología del Sur. Finalmente, son los trabajos pertenecientes a la vertiente de la etnoecología, disciplina con un fuerte enfoque en las cuestiones relativas al patrimonio biocultural de México y los conflictos socioambientales que lo afectan, los que me han ofrecido las pistas decisivas para la investigación, tanto teórica como práctica. La crisis ecológica y climática fue el punto de partida de la investigación etnográfica, realizada mediante entrevistas abiertas y semiestructuradas y observación participante prolongada sobre el terreno. La comunidad de San Isidro Buensuceso se ubica en las faldas del volcán La Malinche, llamado así en honor al traductor e intérprete de Hernán Cortés, quien jugó un papel central en el desenlace de la conquista. Para sus habitantes, esta montaña representa un lugar de gran importancia desde el punto de vista ecosistémico, económico y cultural. La cambiante relación entre la comunidad y la montaña ha provocado un fuerte deterioro ecológico de sus bosques, que se ha agravado desde la conquista española. Durante las dos últimas décadas, la principal amenaza para La Malinche han sido los taladores, los leñadores ilegales: las entrevistas tanto con ex taladores como con residentes locales han demostrado que en su mayoría son personas de las propias comunidades, organizadas en grupos y cuyo comportamiento se considera violento y peligroso. Esto ha llevado al endurecimiento de los controles sobre los bosques de montaña, mediante una fuerte militarización del parque. En este intrincado y confuso paisaje, investigaciones recientes (Martínez Arellano, 2017) han destacado cómo es en realidad en dirección a la ciudad de Puebla, con su gran demanda de madera, agua y otros recursos naturales, hacia donde hay que voltear para encontrar las principales causas del deterioro ecológico actual. El tema de la crisis climática y ecológica también fue explorado desde el punto de vista de la percepción local: en este caso, me centré en los saberes ecológicos locales de los habitantes de la comunidad de San Isidro Buensuceso, particularmente los relacionados con la actual crisis climática y ecológica, que emergen como formas de conocimiento que proceden según lógicas distantes de las capitalistas y son capaces de ofrecer claves de interpretación y resistencia a los cambios que se están produciendo. Uno de los resultados arrojados por la investigación etnográfica es la estructura del extenso aparato etnometeorológico nahua presente en la comunidad, fuertemente vinculado a las actividades agrícolas y a la cosmovisión prehispánica. En el trabajo, este complejo conocimiento se dividió en cuatro modalidades principales: a) las previsiones climáticas a corto plazo, con la observación minuciosa de las nubes, los astros y el comportamiento de los animales (insectos, mamíferos, aves, etc.); b) las previsiones climáticas a largo plazo, con la lectura de las cabañuelas, es decir, los 12 primeros días de enero a los que corresponden los 12 meses del año en curso; c) el conocimiento técnico-científico de los propios pobladores de la comunidad; d) el conocimiento del tiempero, el meteorólogo ritual. En la última sección, cuestioné el conocimiento curativo, en particular el del curandero más importante de la comunidad y las modalidades de medicina doméstica (autoatencion), fuertemente basadas en el uso de plantas medicinales. Esta urgencia se consolidó durante las entrevistas, de las que se desprendió cómo la crisis climática ha entrado en el saber curativo de la comunidad, que siempre ha estado atenta a las dimensiones ambientales y climáticas.
... Ese tipo de manejo de los sistemas tradicionales puede ser considerado también similar al concepto de manejo adaptativo (Berkes, Colding. y Folke, 2000), por lo tanto, el conocimiento tradicional es importante ya que se centra en elementos fundamentales para la vida, seguridad y el bienestar de manera local, siendo un mecanismo de adaptación al cambio climático, este conocimiento corre el riesgo de ser perdido a nivel global como resultado del modelo económico capitalista, se suma los procesos de transculturación, marginación, pobreza, migración, entre las más importantes (Nakashima et al., 2012). ...
Las crisis ambientales han sido provocadas por intereses económicos y lógicas de mercado depredadoras, urge una transformación civilizatoria que implique estrategias como la formación integral de las personas, para su contribución en la defensa y cuidado de la vida, sustento del bienestar de los pueblos del mundo. La educación ambiental como proceso social y de formación de enfoque intercultural, nos permite atender las particularidades de las necesidades educativas en distintas entidades y pueblos de México. Este fue el caso del proyecto Educación ambiental intercultural, procesos socioeducativos con énfasis en cambio climático para profesores de educación básica en servicio, realizado en Chiautla de Tapia, de la Sierra Mixteca de Puebla. Uno de los resultados está representado por este libro, dedicado a aportar y compartir conocimiento e información complementaria y de consulta para los proyectos de intervención socioeducativa que los profesores de la localidad e incluso de la región pueden impulsar con sus estudiantes. Los temas que aborda son articuladores y situados, están enfocados en la descripción del territorio habitado y constituido biocultural mente, lo mismo que la alimentación y sistemas alimentarios, así como la problemática de ambos ante el cambio climático. Esta obra la dedicamos a las niñas, niños, profesoras, profesores y a la población en general de la Región Mixteca Baja Poblana. El esfuerzo conjunto por parte de las autoras pretende abonar a la construcción de mejores humanos, ayudando a favorecer procesos de aprendizaje crítico y participativo vinculados con los contextos de vida de los participantes y sus saberes, en diálogo con aportes de las ciencias, orientados a la busca del cuidado de la casa común la Madre Tierra, de sí mismos y de los otros seres humanos y no humanos.
The impact of climate change, pollution, loss of ecosystem services, and biodiversity has been rampant and has intensified over the last few decades. The first victims of these impacts are the vulnerable groups in developing and underdeveloped countries, specifically the Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC). Global South is home to one the highest number of indigenous people, which warrants the need to address the ongoing environmental issues relating to climate change and enhance efforts for climate change adaptation and mitigation. However, despite numerous ongoing climate discussions that acknowledge climate justice and climate policies in place, stress and support the role of indigenous people as stewards of our environment. There are clear evidence and examples of IPLC successfully protecting our natural resources by using Indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge (ITEK), unfortunately, they are often excluded from formal decision-making process. Therefore, the present chapter is an attempt to elaborate inclusion of IPLC and ITEK in national and international climate and associated conservation policies to help proposed to achieve adaptation and mitigation targets. We further explore key enabling and constraining conditions while mainstreaming ITEK systems and hybridization of diverse relevant knowledge systems for achieving global climate targets. Finally, the chapter also reflects on the lessons from UNFCCC COPs that deliberates on including indigenous knowledge for resilient ecosystems and societies.
Sami adaptation strategies/climate change/global change/Indigenous knowledge
In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the association of crops and livestock in mixed farming systems generally benefits both enterprises. This paper focuses on the main contributions of livestock to crop production: the use of manure and animal draught power to produce crops and the investment of income from livestock into technologies that benefit crop production. In low-input, grazing-based feeding operations, manure is a vital soil fertility amendment. In these systems, penning livestock overnight on fields, fallow between cropping periods, returns both manure and urine to the soil and results in much higher crop yields than if manure only is gathered from stalls and spread onto fields. However, most farmers have insufficient manure to sustain food production. Nutrient harvests often exceed nutrient inputs, requiring a much greater use of fertilizers to arrest soil nutrient depletion. The opposite may be true for mixed farming where livestock are given food in confinement. In these emerging systems, the continuous importation of food (and fertilizer) can result in nutrient surpluses with subsequent soil nutrient build-up and loss. The contribution of animal power to crop production is relatively new in Africa. Animal power affects the amount of land cultivated by farmers, crop selection, the yield per farm and per ha, and on the participation and work load of people (family members and outside labour) involved in crop production and its associated activities. In addition to the impacts of manure and draught power on crop production, income derived from livestock is often invested in inputs that enhance crop production. At the ‘micro’ level, livestock income influences crop production (1) directly by allowing households to invest in productive inputs such as fertilizer, hired labour, and carts and (2) indirectly by allowing poor households to improve their nutritional status and, therefore, the productivity of their most important resource, their own labour. At the ‘macro’ level, increased livestock exports have a large stimulating effect on the demand for locally produced goods and services, particularly basic food crops. Thus, increasing the productivity of the livestock sector, including an emphasis on the policy and institutional environment influencing marketing and trade, is an important element of a development strategy focused on stimulating economic growth and alleviating poverty.
