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Paper short abstract

Indigenous local knowledge about climate change and interventions to manage it provide a different model of development. This paper presents how such knowledge is being used in Tanzania to address agricultural development in the context of climate change

Paper long abstract

Development is a broad term that refers to different social, economic, political and philosophical changes. It also has strong colonial roots. It presumes a particular model which groups peoples, communities and nation states into developed and less developed categories.

In this paper we look at the colonial aspects of development in Tanzania and discuss how indigenous knowledge is being used to create a different development model. An indigenous model can foster viable and sustainable development, particularly important in the face of climate change.

The colonial legacy in Tanzania disrupted agricultural development, disparaging traditional methods of sustainability and cutting off native populations from the connection to and responsibility for the land. Changes promoted by the African Centre for Biodiversity in South Africa, the Tanzanian Agricultural Research Institute at Sokoine University and the Agroecology hub in Tanzania show how indigenous and local knowledge can be promoted. The Tanzanian National climate initiative and the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) incorporate traditional and community knowledge and socio-cultural perspectives.

A particular challenge is how to engage community members at the village level. Knowing how they understand climate change and potential responses to climate change are a key part of community engagement. One of the authors has worked directly with local farmers and communities and will report on the local knowledge and perspectives of climate change and interventions that have been shared with him.

This information will be integrated with the top-side organizational initiatives to create a more complete model of development planning.