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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
earth and planetary sciences
Indigenous knowledge related to climate variability and change: Insights from droughts in semi-arid areas of former Makueni District, Kenya
Climatic Change, Volume 100, No. 2, Year 2010
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Description
This article describes the indigenous knowledge (IK) that agro-pastoralists in larger Makueni District, Kenya hold and how they use it to monitor, mitigate and adapt to drought. It examines ways of integrating IK into formal monitoring, how to enhance its value and acceptability. Data was collected through target interviews, group discussions and questionnaires covering 127 households in eight villages. Daily rainfall data from 1961-2003 were analysed. Results show that agro-pastoralists hold IK on indicators of rainfall variability; they believe in IK efficacy and they rely on them. Because agro-pastoralists consult additional sources, the authors interpret that IK forms a basic knowledge frame within which agro-pastoralists position and interpret meteorological forecasts. Only a few agro-pastoralists adapt their practices in anticipation of IK-based forecasts partly due to the conditioning of the actors to the high rainfall variability characteristic of the area and partly due to lack of resources. Non-drought factors such as poverty, inadequate resources and lack of preparedness expose agro-pastoralists to drought impacts and limit their adaptive capacity. These factors need to be understood and effectively addressed to increase agro-pastoralists' decision options and the influence of IK-based forecasts on their decision-making patterns. The limited intergenerational transfer of IK currently threatens its existence in the longer term. One way to ensure its continued existence and use is to integrate IK into the education curriculum and to link IK with formal climate change research through the participation of the local people. However, further studies are necessary to address the reliability and validity of the identified IK indicators of climate variability and change. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Authors & Co-Authors
Ifejika Speranza, Chinwe I.
Switzerland, Bern
University of Bern
Germany, Bonn
Deutsches Institut Fur Entwicklungspolitik
Kiteme, Boniface P.
Kenya, Nairobi
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics Nairobi
Ambenje, Peter G.
Kenya, Nairobi
Kenya Meteorological Department
Wièsmann, Urs
Switzerland, Bern
University of Bern
Makali, Samuel Lwamushi
Kenya, Nairobi
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics Nairobi
Statistics
Citations: 242
Authors: 5
Affiliations: 4
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1007/s10584-009-9713-0
ISSN:
01650009
Research Areas
Environmental
Study Locations
Kenya