Paper long abstract:

Global inequalities today derive largely from the unequal power relations in the way knowledge for development has historically been produced and applied. Africa contributes least to but suffers the most from the disastrous consequences of climate change. How can the continent cope with the worsening threats of flooding, droughts and other emergencies that result from extreme weather conditions. We argues that Africa should search within their own knowledge systems for appropriate ideas and approaches to many of its development challenges, and that indigenous knowledge may prove to be "the single largest knowledge resource not yet mobilized in the development enterprise." Although poverty may sometimes force people to use resources in an unsustainable way, most traditional African societies have deeply entrenched ideas about environmental protection and sustainability because their livelihood depends largely on the land and on the stability of the ecosystem. They believe that land and other forms of nature are sacred, and are held in trust by the present day users on behalf of dead ancestors and future generations. Chief Nana Ofori Attah of Ghana once told a colonial official that 'land belongs to a large family of which many are dead, a few are living, and countless hosts are yet unborn". These local communities have over the years developed intricate systems of forecasting weather systems to prevent and mitigate natural disasters; traditional techniques of soil management, pest and disease control, adopting suitable crop and animal varieties, and other strategies that have ensured traditional resilience. The paper recognizes that the unprecedented scale of climate change today may have undermined the reliability of many traditional indicators for predicting the pattern of climate variability, and techniques for preventing and adapting to climate induced natural disasters. There is therefore a need for those who hold and use traditional knowledge to partner with scientists and practitioners in order to co-produce updated knowledge for better climate risk management. This way, the traditional and modern knowledge systems will be made to complement and enrich each other. Thus, while Africa stands to gain form global science and international best practices, indigenous knowledge offers a model for rethinking and redirecting the development process, and a way to adapt effectively to climate change. Researchers and the development community should therefore try to tap into the vital resource of indigenous knowledge for locally appropriate and culture-sensitive ways to protect the environment, and ensure climate resilience and sustainable development.