Key issues relevant to Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Adaptation in Kenya

With the current global impacts of climate change and future speculations and uncertainties, the need for adaptation has become of utmost importance particularly in developing countries. The IPCC WGII Sixth Assessment Report underscores adaptation as an integral concept in reducing risks, and emphasizes that adaptation-related response be assessed. One important aspect of mainstreaming climate adaptation is through indigenous knowledge systems. In recent times, there has been increasing awareness on the important roles played by indigenous knowledge in addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation mechanisms. Indigenous knowledge systems include knowledge, understandings, beliefs, philosophies and skills of indigenous people which have been learnt over a long period of time within a society, and is crucial to their way of life and decision-making (IPCC, 2014). In addressing the impacts of climate change within indigenous communities, it is therefore wise to state that the knowledge systems, philosophies, and skills of indigenous people play a crucial role. Various studies on climate adaptation has shown the key roles of indigenous knowledge systems. In Kenya, indigenous knowledge has been drawn from communities such as the Massai, Samburu, Pokot, Sengwer, among others, to address issues of environmental conservation through traditional resource-use and conservation models, and the rain-making tradition to generate rainfall, for instance, in Luhya community (Guto, 2020). Drawing from various studies, this article examines key issues relevant to indigenous knowledge and climate adaptation in Kenya.

Indigenous Knowledge (IK) and Climate Adaptation in Kenya

A study by Guto in 2020 on the subject reveals that through practical applications of indigenous knowledge, indigenous people are able to manipulate natural vegetation for improved vegetal outcomes, to also enhance the resilience of socio-ecological systems to the impacts of climate change, etc. For instance, the rain-making tradition of the Luhya Community served to provide water to adapt to drought (scarcity of rain). Likewise, the Massai communities use traditional resource conservation practices to preserve natural ecosystems. IK has also proven applicable in pastoralist communities, such as West Pokot, where it was observed that traditional practices such as the use of browse trees, stocking of female dominated herds, altering grazers and browsers composition, the use of wild herbs to treat animal diseases, planned transhumance migration, among others, are useful in coping with droughts. Muthee, et al. in 2019 also recognized the role of IK in tackling food security through sustainable agricultural practices across different communities in Kenya, while alternative agricultural practices to pastoralism in times of flood such as planting drought tolerant varieties, bee keeping and other extension services further address food insecurity associated with climate. However, IK is often times not self-sufficient to address adaptation needs of communities and indigenous people facing the impacts of climate change in Kenya. In some cases, scientific methods – meteorological forecasts – are interpreted and understood using indigenous knowledge. Ifejika Speranza, et al. (2010), for instance, had made claims that, “IK forms a basic knowledge frame within which agro-pastoralists position and interpret meteorological forecasts.” The goal of adaptation is still realized from the combination and/or coexistence of both IK and scientific methods. The traditional people of Nganyi community, in a collaborative project between the rainmakers and meteorologists reveal the positive possibilities of combining IK with scientific processes. The combination of knowledge and skill led to a note-worthy accuracy in the seasonal weather predictions, as reported by Guthiga and Newsham in 2011. This points to the immense benefits of integrating IK in climate policies, particularly in Kenya’s adaptation plans. Major recommendations include the improvement and promotion of IK systems and their full integration, as well as coexistence with scientific techniques to produce more effective local-based adaptation at community levels, likewise its incorporation into decision-making processes. There are however key issues to note which are relevant to the subject.

(Image: An Nganyi rainmaker, Photo by Isaiah Esipisu)

Key Issues to Note

Some key issues relevant to indigenous knowledge and climate adaptation in Kenya have been identified from the above discussion and presented in the following points:

1. Identification of indigenous knowledge resource
2. Capturing and preserving indigenous knowledge resource
3. The reliability of indigenous knowledge in adapting to climate change
4. The combination of indigenous knowledge and scientific knowledge in addressing adaptation needs
5. Integration of indigenous knowledge into adaptation practices

In applying IK in climate adaptation actions in Kenya, studies have shown the importance of first being able to identify, capture and preserve relevant IK resources in local and indigenous communities. While many indigenous people adapt to the impacts of climate change using traditional knowledge, whether or not such practices are reliable is also critical in determining the adaptation extent. Many of these studies revealed that members of these indigenous communities attested to the efficacy of traditional or indigenous knowledge in predicting rainfall, temperatures, flooding, agricultural productivity and food security. However, scientific knowledge can serve to complement or corroborate traditional knowledge. In the work of Guthiga and Newsham, as earlier mentioned, they had stated that both the rainmakers – an indigenous practice in Nganyi community involving people with the IK of rain forecast – and meteorologist had shared some mutual distrust for each other. The traditional people did not want their IK to be stolen while the meteorologist had doubted the skills of the local people. This is because, most times, formal knowledge disrupts IK due to the view that such knowledge and practices are outdated. On the contrary, IK with its enormous potentials needs to be fully integrated into adaptation practices and policies. The fact remains that till date and increasingly so, IK is practiced in different communities in Kenya. However, it is not fully integrated into adaptation plans and actions, and as such undermining its potentials.

Conclusion

So far, IK systems have played a significantly important role in climate adaption in Kenya. This article highlights its usefulness: to pastoralists facing droughts, in sustainable agricultural practices and in seasonal weather forecast. Although vital, IK is observed not to be fully adopted and implemented with full integration in adaptation plans and policies. My findings from this work therefore underscore the need to fully integrate IK systems into adaptation plans and policy decision-making. It also spells the need for collaboration between scientific knowledge and IK systems to tackle adaptation needs at different levels within the country.

References:

Guthiga, P., & Newsham, A. (2011). Meteorologists meeting rainmakers: indigenous knowledge and climate policy processes in Kenya.?IDS Bulletin,?42(3), 104-109.

Guto, R. (2020). A meta-Analytical Review of the Role of Indigenous Knowledge on Environmental Conservation and Climate Change in Kenya.

Ifejika Speranza, C., Kiteme, B., Ambenje, P., Wiesmann, U., & Makali, S. (2010). Indigenous knowledge related to climate variability and change: insights from droughts in semi-arid areas of former Makueni District, Kenya.?Climatic change,?100(2), 295-315.

IPCC, 2014:?Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change?[Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 151 pp.

IPCC, 2022:?Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability.?Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. P?rtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. L?schke, V. M?ller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press. In Press.