Role of Indigenous and local knowledge in seasonal forecasts and climate adaptation: A case study of smallholder farmers in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Accessible, reliable and diverse sources of climate information are needed to inform climate change adaptation at
all levels of society, particularly for vulnerable sectors such as smallholder farming. Globally, many smallholder
farmers use Indigenous knowledge (IK) and local knowledge (LK) to forecast weather and climate; however, less
is known about how the use of these forecasts connects to decisions and actions for reducing climate risks. We
examined the role of IK and LK in seasonal forecasting and the broader climate adaptation decision-making of
smallholder farmers in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. The data were collected from a sample of 100 smallholder farmers.
Seventy-three of the 100 interviewed farmers used IK and LK weather and climate forecasts, and 32% relied
solely on IK and LK forecasts for climate adaptation decision-making. Observations of cuckoo birds, leafsprouting
of Mopane trees, high summer temperatures, and Nimbus clouds are the main indicators used for IK
and LK forecasts. The use of IK and LK climate forecasts was significantly positively associated with increasing
farmer age and farmland size.
Description
Keywords
Farming, Agriculture, Climate change, Zimbabwe, Geography
Citation
Zvobgo, L. et al. (2023). Role of Indigenous and local knowledge in seasonal forecasts and climate adaptation: A case study of smallholder farmers in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. Environmental Science and Policy, 145, 13-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2023.03.017