Advancing Local Ecological Knowledge-Based Practices for Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience-Building, and Sustainability in Agriculture: A Case Study of Central and Southern Zambia
Based on:
Journal Article (2021)
This research is about the understanding of the importance of local and indigenous knowledge systems in the climate change discourse for a better and effective adaptation that builds resilience and enhances the sustainability of the agriculture sector through innovative policies in a continously changing climate.
Brief by:
Content
The purpose of the paper is to encourage policymakers not only to focus on scientific knowledge for adaptation to climate change but to bring in local and traditional knowledge. For generations and centuries, local and indigenous people have been using their knowledge to adapt to changes in their environment. These people should be used in policymaking, and their knowledge should be built upon and integrated with scientific knowledge to improve adaptation practices
The goal of this research is to advance the significant role that LEK adaption practices in the agriculture sector can play in enhancing adaptation, resilience-building, and sustainability with a case study of central and southern Zambia.
Key findings
In the regions studied, the agricultural sector is greatly being impacted by climate change.
Many climate-related issues are affecting the production of staple crops and the food security of the region. Using local/indigenous knowledge, farmers are striving to solve these climate related issues in their own ways. These include:
Changing weather affects the life cycles and behaviours of armyworms, which now come in large numbers and eat much of the crop.
Eradicating them is not easy due to their numbers. Rather than relying on the government, local people are using their own traditional methods and medicines.
A long drought over 2018/19 was very impactful on crops- the people resorted to their old way of farming, planting crops next to long-rooted trees called Msango trees that can reach water deep in the soil.
Experience and research have shown that crops that are grown near or under these trees tend to do well in drought spells as compared to those not grown near or under these trees.
In drought conditions, no-till farming techniques such as the digging of holes for planting rather than a complete disturbance of the soil help to conserve moisture in the soil and also plays a role in sequestering carbon in the soil.
Diversifying of income sources and crops is yet another effective adaptation practice that is being carried out in these regions.
As climate change intensifies some crops will do well while others won't, this is why this practice has been seen to be an effective adaptation technique to a changing climate. in the event that climate change events make it harder to engage in farming some farmers have resorted to diversifying their income sources by engaging in other income-generating activities such as fishing and charcoal burning which has proven to help them cope with a changing climate.
Proposed action
Policymakers/stakeholders should engage everyone in climate change policy
Financial support should be directed to local people to assist them in their methods of agricultural adaptation to climate change
Resource allocation should always involve community consultation to ensure the resources go towards the people's priorities
Local and indigenous people should be given a platform to freely communicate their experiences, so that policy makers and researchers can better judge how they can help
With support from NGOs and governments, these techniques could be used on a larger scale
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Acknowledgements
Thank you to iDE Global
These insights were made available thanks to the support of iDE Global, who are committed to the dissemination of knowledge for all.
Special thanks to Ben Levett for preparation assistance
We would like to extend a special thank you to Ben Levett, for their invaluable contribution in assisting the preparation of this research summary.
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Advancing Local Ecological Knowledge-Based Practices for Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience-Building, and Sustainability in Agriculture: A Case Study of Central and Southern Zambia
Cite this brief: Sakapaji, Stephen Chitengi. 'Advancing Local Ecological Knowledge-Based Practices for Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience-Building, and Sustainability in Agriculture: A Case Study of Central and Southern Zambia'. Acume. https://www.acume.org/r/advancing-local-ecological-knowledge-based-practices-for-climate-change-adaptation-resilience-building-and-sustainability-in-agriculture/
Brief created by: Dr Stephen Chitengi Sakapaji | Year brief made: 2022
Original research:
- Sakapaji, S. C., ‘Advancing Local Ecological Knowledge-Based Practices for Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience-Building, and Sustainability in Agriculture: A Case Study of Central and Southern Zambia’ 13(2) (pp. 61–83) https://doi.org/10.18848/1835-7156/CGP/v13i02/61-83. – https://cgscholar.com/bookstore/works/advancing-local-ecological-knowledgebased-practices?category_id=climate-change-impacts-and-responses&path=cgrn%2F192%2F193
Research brief:
This research is about the understanding of the importance of local and indigenous knowledge systems in the climate change discourse for a better and effective adaptation that builds resilience and enhances the sustainability of the agriculture sector through innovative policies in a continously changing climate.
The purpose of the paper is to encourage policymakers not only to focus on scientific knowledge for adaptation to climate change but to bring in local and traditional knowledge. For generations and centuries, local and indigenous people have been using their knowledge to adapt to changes in their environment. These people should be used in policymaking, and their knowledge should be built upon and integrated with scientific knowledge to improve adaptation practices
The goal of this research is to advance the significant role that LEK adaption practices in the agriculture sector can play in enhancing adaptation, resilience-building, and sustainability with a case study of central and southern Zambia.
Findings:
In the regions studied, the agricultural sector is greatly being impacted by climate change.
Many climate-related issues are affecting the production of staple crops and the food security of the region. Using local/indigenous knowledge, farmers are striving to solve these climate related issues in their own ways. These include:
Changing weather affects the life cycles and behaviours of armyworms, which now come in large numbers and eat much of the crop.
Eradicating them is not easy due to their numbers. Rather than relying on the government, local people are using their own traditional methods and medicines.
A long drought over 2018/19 was very impactful on crops- the people resorted to their old way of farming, planting crops next to long-rooted trees called Msango trees that can reach water deep in the soil.
Experience and research have shown that crops that are grown near or under these trees tend to do well in drought spells as compared to those not grown near or under these trees.
In drought conditions, no-till farming techniques such as the digging of holes for planting rather than a complete disturbance of the soil help to conserve moisture in the soil and also plays a role in sequestering carbon in the soil.
Diversifying of income sources and crops is yet another effective adaptation practice that is being carried out in these regions.
As climate change intensifies some crops will do well while others won’t, this is why this practice has been seen to be an effective adaptation technique to a changing climate. in the event that climate change events make it harder to engage in farming some farmers have resorted to diversifying their income sources by engaging in other income-generating activities such as fishing and charcoal burning which has proven to help them cope with a changing climate.
Advice:
Policymakers/stakeholders should engage everyone in climate change policy
- Local people should be involved in policy formation to give their insights on how they are adapting and on what is affecting them the most. Policies not made from community consultation backfire or are ineffectual
Financial support should be directed to local people to assist them in their methods of agricultural adaptation to climate change
Resource allocation should always involve community consultation to ensure the resources go towards the people’s priorities
Local and indigenous people should be given a platform to freely communicate their experiences, so that policy makers and researchers can better judge how they can help
With support from NGOs and governments, these techniques could be used on a larger scale
- We know how climate change is affecting these people, and there are scientific methods being used for adaptation, but better adaptation methods could be devised by using local methods and building on them, climate change is constant and in time their current methods may not be effective, so they need to be improved upon in the long run, but these methods are proven to be viable and practical.