The harsh El Nino effect experienced from late last year to April illustrates that climate change demands urgent attention and multispectral solutions.
Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) serve as an alternative strategy: They can help us refine our weather forecasting, identify and manage seasonal changes, cope with climate impact or identify options, as well as inform planning and policy formulation.
Our ancestors had measures in place that helped them live in harmony with nature.
They took care of the environment because they believed nature took care of them and provided for their needs.
A clear demonstration is the totem system employed by indigenous communities of Africa, Asia, America and Oceania, which helped conserve various animal species.
This smart move reduced pressure on animal prey, fostering respect for different animal species, both wild and domestic, ultimately ensuring biodiversity.
Traditional knowledge systems have pragmatic applications to the challenges we now face.
NATURAL ENGINEERS
Testament to the powerful influence of indigenous knowledge systems is renowned academic and rector of the United Nations University, professor Tshilidzi Marwala, describing his grandmother as his “first engineering teacher”.
He says she would scout for clay to make pots, something termed as material selection in engineering.
She would develop the claypot’s shape, something called design in engineering.
Then she would put the moulded pot in the sun, that is thermodynamics, and put it in the fire for hardening, a process known as annealing.
Lastly, she would knock gently on the pot and pay attention to the sound, a process known as non-destructive testing in mainstream engineering.
There is so much we can learn from these curators of knowledge – our elders – about dealing with problems such as climate change.
Indigenous communities have developed philosophies, as well as strategies and skills to cope with various climate phenomena based on long periods of interacting with their surroundings.
SIGNS OF DROUGHT
When there’s a swarm of locusts, the elders interpret this as a drought year ahead.
This type of knowledge is embedded in folk tales told by the elderly, passed on to the younger generations.
The distinct historical periods in such stories are usually marked by natural phenomena either linked to drought, floods or bumper harvests.
In anticipation of a dry year, the ploughing season would then be delayed from the usual October to December/January to escape crop failure in the plant emergence phase.
When the moon rises with the crescent facing upwards, it indicates a dry month and indigenous farmers apply non-tillage practices and mulching with manure to retain moisture, thus conserving water.
The dwindling of black swallow populations because of migration signifies there will be no rain and farmers start preparing in anticipation of drought.
By the same token, the migration of the red-billed quelea birds to the north, towards Angola, is another sign of a dry spell. They are relocating towards the equatorial rainfall.
Another drought indicator is when the mopane tree flowers as it seldom bears fruit (omakoti).
When this happens, traditional leaders know there will be little to no rain.
The mopane flowering period, November-January, which usually coincides with the start of the rainy season, consolidates their predictions.
When this happens, those who farm livestock may relocate some cattle to less affected areas.
Other community members sell some of their cattle and acquire goats which are considered more resilient to drought.
READING THE RAIN
There are also indicators that signify rain.
The croaking or sighting of frogs in streams communicates the arrival of rainfall.
Traditional leaders understand the relationship between animal acoustics (what we may term in biological sciences as bioacoustics) and weather phenomena.
When the white-browed coucal or lark-heeled cuckoo (a species of the cuckoo bird) makes its ‘ringing’ call, the community’s elders pay attention to the distinct, initially subdued and gradually ascending pitch.
They know a rainy season is around the corner and start preparing their fields for planting.
The presence of numerous black swallows in the skies, as well as edible insects such as termite alates, signify good rains and community members increase the land under cultivation, as well as diversify their crops, adding vegetable crops and legumes.
Indigenous communities have the ability to scrutinise animal behaviour (known as ethology in biosciences) and trace its associations with weather patterns.
The playful behaviour of cattle, particularly heifers and bullocks, indicates the onset of a wet season.
This prompts community members to set up water vessels to harvest rain water, which can be used for post-rain periods.
SEX IN THE AIR
Moreover, the elders use folklore to explain the “intimate” relationship between the westerly and easterly winds: When they converge, good rains are received.
The winds are personified and gendered; the westerly wind is the female while the easterly wind is the male.
For rain to occur, the two winds have to copulate upon the yielding of the westerly wind to the coaxing of her suitor, the easterly wind.
This is in line with climatology principles where convectional rain is formed when a cold front (westerly wind) converges with a warm front (easterly wind), resulting in the former pushing the latter up.
Together, they move to a point where they lose energy, cool down, hence reducing their capacity to carry water as a vapour and initiating the condensation process or cloud formation, leading to rainfall.
Traditional elders can also decipher warning signs from nature.
For instance, when the moon rises facing sideways, the elders know there will be large amounts of rainfall likely to result in floods, and will take precautions such as moving to geographically higher areas.
‘TAP THE POTENTIAL’
The potential of indigenous knowledge systems in reinforcing resilience to climate change can never be overemphasised.
Collection and proper documentation of indigenous knowledge in predicting weather patterns and season changes should be done nationwide.
The climate action aspect of the school curriculum should integrate indigenous knowledge systems so that the youth can be better equipped to effectively adapt to climate shifts.
Independent researchers, as well as institutional climatologists, need to come on-board to unravel how traditional knowledge can inform climate change science.
We must consider indigenous knowledge systems as potential sources of homegrown solutions to this formidable challenge threatening our agricultural sector.
- * Nyasha J Kavhiza is a seasoned agronomist and consultant; njkavhiza@rocketmail.com
- * Paulina Shihwandu is an avid agriculturist; kkambulukweya@gmail.com
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