Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Early Warning Systems The Case of Nganyi Community in Western Kenya Ouma G O Institute for Climate Change and Adaptation & Department of Meteorology University of Nairobi
[email protected]
Indigenous knowledge (IK) • May be defined as – An ancient, communal, holistic and spiritual knowledge that encompasses every aspect of human existence (Brascoupé and Mann, 2001) – A body of knowledge built up by a group of people through generations of living in close contact with nature (Lore, 1992)
• It may also be defined as a body of knowledge built up by a group of people through generations of living in close contact with nature • It is embedded in a particular community, contextually bound and defined by the economic, social, cultural, ideological and belief system in which it is found and is passed down from generation to generation, often by word of mouth • It is frequently the basis for local level decision making in the communities
• There is no fundamental difference between modern day science and traditional knowledge/indigenous knowledge/local knowledge • However, there are major differences in the degree to which certain knowledge traditions have had the chance to develop into a robust science
Definition of Early Warning • The provision of timely and effective information, through identified institutions, that allows individuals exposed to a hazard to take action to avoid or reduce their risk and prepare for effective response (ISDR)
Early Warning Systems • An Early Warning System (EWS) is a comprehensive monitoring framework for early detection and response to environmental threats • It is more than just a prediction • It comprises a chain of four elements, starting from a knowledge of the risks faced through to preparedness to act on early warning • Failure in any one part can mean failure of the whole system
The Four Elements of an EWS • Risk knowledge: prior knowledge of the risks faced by communities • Warning service: technical monitoring and prediction service for these risks • Dissemination: dissemination of understandable warnings to those at risk • Response capability: Knowledge and preparedness to act by those threatened
Major barriers to the effective use of climate information • Credibility
Interpretation • Interpretation is the ability of users to successfully extract relevant and accurate information from the climate information products • Too Technical – Generally formats are deemed to be too technical – For example, most seasonal forecasts are presented in terciles format (three evenly divided categories) – Provide the probability of above normal, near normal, or below normal rainfall, relative to historical averages
• Accessibility – Dissemination avenues may not be suitable for the end-users (small-scale farmers)
• Translation – forecasts are difficult to translate to impacts – Need downscaled forecasts that could support more localized decision-making
• Utilization – Seasonal forecasts can most effectively be used for strategic decision-making and planning – Requires capacity on the part of the user
Integrating indigenous knowledge in Climate Risk Management in support of Community Based Adaptation • The general objective – To enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities to the negative impacts of climate variability and adapt to climate change through integration of indigenous knowledge (IK) and modern-day climate risk management science
Partners
Risk (Hazard) Knowledge • Conventional climate science identifies the hazards and the community vulnerabilities through the analysis of historical climatological data – Patterns and trends of the hazards and vulnerabilities
• Unfortunately the climatological datasets are usually from station networks that are not adequate, especially in Africa – Usually not good for local small-scale use
• This local context can be improved by incorporating IK/local knowledge – Participatory methodologies should be used to involve communities in hazard mapping and vulnerability assessments – Their knowledge can be used in validating the derived maps or creating new accurate ones – Since this exercise happens at the beginning of projects, it can also be used as part of an effort of getting community buy-in to the early warning system
Warning Service • Having identified the hazards prevalent within a region, and having also understood the needs of the community members, the warning service would concentrate in forecasting the potentialities of the hazards • Use the two sets of warning services – Conventional – Indigenous/traditional/local
• Demystification of the forecasts
• Development of merged forecasts – Consensus building
• Interpretation of forecasts – Incorporating government officers from different sectors, and other users we were able to deliver the message in practical, usable terms (advisories) – not so much meteorological terms!
• Dissemination – tapped into the local dissemination system in addition to the conventional methods • Capacity building
Conclusion • Even though we are still not at a stage where we can integrate the two knowledge bases “scientifically”, the consensus approach significantly improved the reach of the forecasts and helped improve resilience against climate-related hazards • The integration should be through the whole process, not just at the development of the warning products stage only
www.get-morebooks.com
