Paper short abstract:

The indigenous communities have a symbiotic relationship with the natural resources which are beneficial for the mutual co-existence. The present study synthesizes traditional knowledge practices to predict, forecast and analyze the early warning systems to adopt and mitigate potential hazards.

Paper long abstract:

The concept of Traditional Knowledge emerged as an attempt to re-empower the local and indigenous interests and voices that have been marginalised by the dominant discourses of science-driven modernisation and development. The indigenous communities have a symbiotic relationship with the forest and natural resources which are beneficial for the mutual co-existence. The role of traditional knowledge in the conservation of ecosystems and sustainable management of natural resources largely depends on the integration of traditional practices within the scientific spheres for developing suitable frameworks for the sustenance of the environment. The present study synthesizes the potential role of traditional practices of indigenous communities for adaptations to climate change with a special emphasis on traditional farming systems, early warning systems and practices of the indigenous communities from the Adilabad district. The early warning system of the indigenous communities has a robust mechanism to predict, forecast, analyze and disseminate required information useful for the early prediction of potential hazards and accordingly to mitigate them with suitable climate change adaptations. The traditional knowledge employed by the indigenous communities in Telangana is linked with the day-by-day livelihood activities of the communities for a strategy to deal with disaster risk reduction. The study adopts qualitative research methodology focusing on exploratory research methods through employing focused group discussion and personal interview-based techniques of data collection techniques. The data collected from four spheres of cultural adaptations involving the biotic knowledge sphere, hydrospheric knowledge sphere, atmospheric knowledge sphere and cosmological knowledge sphere.