Let's Acknowledge Indigenous Knowledge

Figure 1: A recent comment on my blog post

I would like to thank Mari for this comment. I wanted to respond in detail, which is why I decided to embed this comment in this blog post. It also naturally follows on from my previous blog post about small scale irrigation (SSI) schemes.

From a post-colonial lens, one strength of SSI that stands out for me is how the design and implementation of the schemes can empower local farmers and utilise traditional water management systems. However, many SSI schemes in Ethiopia have failed to utilise this local knowledge which has led to conflict, along with disrupting existing community organisation (Carter 2016). Upsetting traditional community structures should be avoided when managing SSI (ibid). Thus, there should be an element of integration within existing structures and practices in order to fully realise the benefits of SSI. To answer Mari’s question, incorporating indigenous methods is an essential part of the consultation process when introducing SSI, and must not be completely disregarded. Having said this, a major weakness of SSI schemes is that it has a track record of being unsuccessful during dry seasons and less adaptable to droughts - a time when demand for irrigation peaks (Kloos and Legesse 2010). Furthermore, the consultation process is time-consuming; time is of the essence since climate change is intensifying precipitation variability throughout Africa at a rapid rate. Mari is absolutely correct – the nature of precipitation is uncertain and SSI may not hold all the solutions for this, unless droughts are properly planned for by installing high quality storage systems with reduced leakage. Also, efficiency needs to be enhanced and difficult decisions need to made as to which crop to prioritise during dry spells.  

In the blog post that Mari commented on, I talked about how my grandmother used various forms of indigenous knowledge, passed down from her parents, to manage the limited water supply that was available to her. I found a paper which overlapped with some of the things that my grandmother used to do back home in Sri Lanka.

Figure 2: My grandmother in action. My grandmother utilised indigenous knowledge whilst farming

Ulluwishewa (2014) describes how Terminalia Arjuna (kumbuk) trees were placed on the side of wells due its cooling effect, and once burnt, would be positioned at the bottom of wells to reduce the salinity of the water. In the clay pots that grandmother and mother used to use to collect water from wells, these were lined with the seeds of Stryclinos potatorum, also known as the clearing nut, which helped to clean the water (ibid). These actions may be perceived as outdated, but these are highly innovative ways of coping with difficult situations and utilising the resources that are available.

Similarly, indigenous knowledge has played a vital role in allowing populations across Africa to cope and adapt to the effects of climate change (Nyong 2007). For example, in the Sahel region, nomadic pastoralists often circulate between dry areas towards to the north and wetter areas in the South in order to reduce pressure on less fertile grazing land (ibid). They also kill weak livestock during droughts for food (ibid). Astonishingly, indigenous knowledge has also been important for climate change mitigation, through the use of agroforestry and forest management acting as a form of carbon sequestering (ibid). Agroforestry is a ‘rational land-use planning system that tries to find some balance in the raising of food crops and forests’ (ibid: 793). Local populations have thorough understanding of the properties of various plants and the performance of trees under various climatic environments which has proven invaluable to the success of forest management (ibid: 793)

To summarise, it is important to acknowledge the nuanced difference between mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation strategies will help to reduce climate change, which in turn will reduce the intensification of water scarcity throughout Africa. However, adaptation is accepting the terrifying fate of climate change and adjusting accordingly. Still, there is nothing wrong in adapting in order to save lives in a currently desperate situation. Indigenous knowledge must not be disregarded from climate change discussions as a whole, as it is a useful tool for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

List of References

Carter, R. and K. Danert (2006) FARM-Africa Ethiopia: planning for small-scale irrigation intervention, London, UK: Farm-Africa.

Kloos, H. and W. Legesse (2010) ‘Small scale irrigation and microdams’, in H. Kloos and W. Legesse (eds.) Water Resources and Management in Ethiopia: Implications for the Nile Basin, London: Cambria Press, 103-116.

Ulluwishewa, R. (1994) ‘Women's indigenous knowledge of water management in Sri Lanka’, Indigenous knowledge and development monitor, 2, 3, 17-19.

Nyong, A., F. Adesina and B. O. Elasha (2007) ‘The value of indigenous knowledge in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in the African Sahel’, Mitigation and Adaptation strategies for global Change, 12, 5, 787-797.