Integrating indigenous knowledge

 By James Laraki

LOCAL communities have developed a number of indigenous knowledge (IK) over time to cope with various stresses, including those relating climate change. IK is still intact among local communities. 

Using such knowledge has made it possible for local communities to live in harmony with their environment for generations and has guided them on how to utilise their natural resources in a sustainable manner.  

Such knowledge has been developed by people through experience and continued to accumulate and use what works for them. 

It is therefore, essential for us to explore existing IK at community levels and work out how these could be integrated into any coping strategies formulated to help communities cope with climate change related stresses.

IK can be broadly defined as a set of knowledge that local communities may have accumulated and use over generations in any given environment.

This definition could cover all forms of knowledge; technologies, skills, practices, beliefs, and so on that may enable these communities to sustain their livelihoods. 

IK is becomes useful, when devising strategies to cope with the likely impacts of climate change related stresses. Many people involved with climate change related activities now realise the importance of IK and how it could enhance scientific knowledge. Efforts are required on how to integrate IK with external knowledge. 

A survey conducted in six of the worst affected districts following the 1997 drought documented a number of indigenous coping strategies. The survey found a number of indigenous coping measures including; gardening practices during drought and frost, methods of preserving planting materials, ways to preserving household water requirements, alternative or famine food eaten, and socio-economic measures to cope with  impact of drought and frost.

It is useful to take into consideration this indigenous knowledge in any adaptation efforts so that local communities can better respond and adjust to the likely effects of climate change. 

Any coping strategy we develop needs to be relevant, easy to understand and adopted them to participate fully in any efforts to adapt to the likely effects of climate related stresses.

Adaptation actions are required at community levels; as such they should be a part and parcel in our efforts to devising any coping strategies. 

To this, we must take note of existing local knowledge and what worked for them over many generations. Communities are already adapted to their environment. They have adapted to extreme conditions, and have developed ways to grow crops in very dry or very wet conditions. We have to look at how these IK could enhance new knowledge. 

Researchers are acknowledging that IK has provided communities with the skills and experience of dealing with past and present effects of climate related and other stresses. It is on this basis that efforts should be made to integrate IK into formal climate change mitigation and adaptation options. 

We have to look at the benefits of integrating IK into the formal climate change adaptation strategies.  Integrating IK could add value to the development of sustainable climate change adaptation strategies that are rich in local content and developed in conjunction with local people. 

It is essential to take the bottom-up approach to encourage local participation. Communities should be encouraged to understand the concepts and learn how to analyse and develop ways to cope with the changing conditions rather than providing them with ready-made recipes. 

We need to understand how communities and households in­teract and share ideas, and how the intended beneficiaries develop the skills and practices necessary to forge their own path. Local actors should be encouraged to take the lead while efforts should be made to support their efforts to take more responsibility in their efforts to cope with likely effects climate related stresses. IK continues to play significant roles in local communities, thus efforts must be made to use existing knowledge and strengthen them where required.

For example, some communities have resorted to eating Kalapua banana corms. The corms were sliced, dried and cooked with ferns and other bush vegetables. In the lowlands they were cooked with coconut milk. It is almost certain that communities will resort to this again when the need arises. Our challenge is how to go one step better on this and other known practices that communities have resorted to.  

Climate change induced stresses vary from location to location depending on its natural and socio-economic conditions. For example the impacts of a drought on the atolls of Milne Bay will differ to communities in the high altitude region. Thus it is important efforts should be made to develop coping strategies locally taking into consideration existing local knowledge. Any strategies that portray PNG as a whole may not be work in all communities.

Past experiences and the so­cio-cultural background of com­munities should be taken into consideration. It is vital IK be documented and shared with other similar communities.

While IK alone is unlikely to provide all the necessary solutions, it is important these are integrated with scientific knowledge in our efforts to deal  with the likely impacts of the changing climate. We hope the importance of IK is taken into consideration and more importantly local communities are engaged in such efforts.