Integrating indigenous knowledge with conventional science: Enhancing localised climate and weather forecasts in Nessa, Mulanje, Malawi
Integrating indigenous knowledge with conventional science: Enhancing localised climate and weather forecasts in Nessa, Mulanje, Malawi
复制标题
DOI：
10.1016/j.pce.2011.08.001
复制
发表时间：
2011-01-01
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Mpembeka, F.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kalanda-Joshua, Miriam;Ngongondo, Cosmo;Mpembeka, F.
在撒哈拉以南非洲，自给性雨水灌溉农业是农村生计的基础。对降雨的过度依赖表明需要更可靠的气候和天气预报来指导农场一级的决策。传统上，非洲农民利用土著知识来了解天气和气候模式，并就作物和耕作方法作出决定。然而，近年来与气候变化有关的降雨量变化增加，降低了他们对土著知识的信心，从而降低了他们的适应能力，增加了他们对气候变化的脆弱性。为解决这一问题，研究人员正在倡导将土著知识纳入地方一级的科学气候预报，以便利用土著知识提高易受气候变化影响的社区的复原力。因此，在马拉维南部的Nessa村进行了一项研究，以确定天气和气候预报中常用的IK指标以及人们对气候变化和可变性的看法。我们进一步比较了1971 - 2003年期间人们对气候变化和变率的看法与附近气象站的经验证据，以及人们充分利用传统天气和气候预报所面临的主要限制。我们的研究结果显示了几代人用来预测天气和气候的各种形式的传统指标。这些因素包括植物群和动物群的某些形态和行为以及环境条件。我们进一步确定，人们对该地区多年来主要气候事件的记录与温度和降雨量数据的经验证据一致。总体而言，自1971年以来，该地区的降雨量随着气温的上升而减少。然而，人们认为，马拉维目前的科学天气和气候预测在村庄一级并不那么有用，因为它们没有纳入国际知识。(C)2011爱思唯尔有限公司保留所有权利。
Subsistence rain fed agriculture underpins rural livelihoods in the Sub Saharan Africa. The overdependence on rainfall suggests the need for more reliable climate and weather forecasts to guide farm level decision making. Traditionally, African farmers have used indigenous knowledge (IK) to understand weather and climate patterns and make decisions about crops and farming practices. However, increased rainfall variability in recent years associated with climate change has reduced their confidence in indigenous knowledge, hence reducing their adaptive capacity and increasing their vulnerability to climate change. To address this problem, researchers are advocating the integration of indigenous knowledge into scientific climate forecasts at the local level, where it can be used to enhance the resilience of communities vulnerable to climate change. A study was therefore conducted to establish commonly used IK indicators in weather and climate forecasting and people's perceptions of climate change and variability in Nessa Village, Southern Malawi. We further compared the people's perceptions on climate change and variability with empirical evidence from a nearby weather station during 1971-2003 and the major constraints that the people face to fully utilise conventional weather and climate forecasts. Our results show various forms of traditional indicators that have been used to predict weather and climate for generations. These include certain patterns and behaviour of flora and fauna as well as environmental conditions. We further established that the peoples documentation of major climatic events over the years in the area agreed with the empirical evidence from the temperature and rainfall data. Overall, rainfall in the area has reduced since 1971 with increasing temperatures. The people were however of the view that current scientific weather and climate predictions in Malawi were not that useful at village level because they do not incorporate IK. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.