Scientists have called for the integration of indigenous knowledge to combat global warming and enhance adaptation to climate change. According to researchers from East Africa, on-farm experiences by smallholder farmers and pastoralists and indigenous knowledge can contribute effectively to coping with climate change. The scientists made this proposal while presenting their findings at the UNESCO scientific conference currently taking place in Paris, France, under the theme, “Our Common Future under Climate Change.” “We need to harness indigenous knowledge and revive traditional natural resource governance of landscapes. There is less appreciation of pastoralists’ ideas, for example. Being connected to environmental resources the pastoralists’ society is sensitive to climate change and, therefore, responds to the change as they deal with pasture and water,” Benoit Hazard, an anthropologist from Institut National des Sciences Humaines et Sociales in Kenya, who is currently conducting research on resilience in East Africa said. “We have traditional societies with specific knowledge to link things with ecological conditions, who know where water sources are and how to adapt. They need to be supported to mix their knowledge with agriculture practices. In Kenya, some have become agronomists.” Scientific evidence such as from UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on ‘how to feed the world by 20250’, estimates that agriculture is responsible for about 14 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. By adapting smart agriculture, the communities in East Africa are drawing upon several traditional farming principles in modern day context. According to the research findings, these measures have potential to reduce up to six billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. Findings also show that farmers who practice agro-ecology draw upon their understanding of local ecologies and biodiversity in their cultivation methods. The most common agro-ecology cultivation practiced entails integration of livestock, crops, pollinators, trees and water in a way that accommodates their needs and matches their landscape. The planting of indigenous crop varieties, adhering to soil fertility management through the usage of organic fertilisers, captures carbon from the atmosphere. Ghanaian soil scientist Dr Edward Yeboah says on-farm innovations have seen farmers adapting to climate change through the use of food crop residues such as sorghum, rice and maize husks to increase soil fertility. The re-emergence of traditional cereals such as millet and sorghum on today’s dining table has been hailed by scientists as yet another aspect of traditional knowledge enhancing climate change adaptation. However, they say this requires more investment in high-yielding varieties that can withstand challenges like harsh weather. According to Dr Julius Gatune from the African Centre for Economic Transformation, these cereals adapt to ecological conditions like infertile soil, high temperature, short growing seasons and acidic soils. These grains can also be stored for over 10 years without damage, Gatune said. This article was made in the framework of the Media21 Africa Project by CFI, the French operator in media cooperation.
