Thank you dear subscribers, we are overwhelmed with your response.
Your Turn is a unique section from ThePrint featuring points of view from its subscribers. If you are a subscriber, have a point of view, please send it to us. If not, do subscribe here: https://theprint.in/
The global climate crisis demands that we look beyond technology and global frameworks to embrace the Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), a vast reservoir of wisdom accumulated over centuries of deep interaction with nature. Indigenous Knowledge Systems are not just a set of practices; they are a philosophy of sustainable living. India, the civilizational state believes in- Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — “the world is one family”, reminds us that humans, animals, and nature are interdependent members of the same household. Likewise, African traditional philosophy such as Ubuntu means “I am because we are” — expressing a profound sense of collective responsibility and coexistence. Yet, at the philosophical level, Western science continues to dominate our global climate discourse. Indigenous wisdom — though deeply empirical and grounded in centuries of lived experience, is too often sidelined or dismissed as “unscientific”.
But let us remember that these communities have been observing, adapting, and thriving amid environmental change far longer than any modern laboratory. Their knowledge is not theoretical; it is practical, proven, and profoundly local. And these systems offer vital, time-tested strategies for both climate adaptation and mitigation.
In fact, IKS provides some of the most valuable, location-specific insights for climate adaptation, early warning, and sustainable resource management. It is rooted in low-carbon worldviews, embracing simplicity, moderation, and respect for natural limits. Their economies are built on principles of sharing, recycling, and regeneration, mirroring the goals of modern circular economy frameworks. They remind us that true resilience does not begin in computer models or machines, rather it begins in the lived, daily relationship between people and their environment.
If we see India and Africa, the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions by population, they share not only similar ecological challenges, but also a rich heritage of harmony with nature. Their partnership in advancing Indigenous Knowledge offers more than regional cooperation; it presents a powerful, people-cantered model for global climate action i.e rooted in wisdom, respect, and shared responsibility for the planet.
IKS as a Climate Solution
- Adaptation and Food Security
IKS offers practical, time-tested strategies for coping with erratic rainfall and rising temperatures:
| Practice | Geographic Example | Climate Resilience Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Drought-Resistant Crops | India: Ragi, Jowar (millets); Africa: Millet, Sorghum. | Require significantly less water than conventional crops; maintain food security during climatic stress. |
| Agroforestry Systems | India: Himalayan regions; Africa: Mali, Burkina Faso. | Combine trees and crops to preserve soil/water, provide shade, and enhance soil fertility and moisture. |
| Traditional Farming | India/Africa Drylands | Practices like intercropping, crop rotation, and traditional soil management improve water retention, ensuring yields when rains fail. |
| Biodiversity Protection | Sacred Natural Sites (both regions) | Traditional land stewardship and community-managed forests function as living carbon sinks (mitigation) and natural climate buffers. |
- Water Management: In arid and semi-arid regions, traditional techniques often succeed where modern engineering has failed:
- India: The construction of simple Johads (earthen check dams) and the preservation of Baolis (ancient stepwells) effectively recharge massive groundwater reservoirs in Northwest India.
- East Africa: Communities use traditional rainwater harvesting and communal ponds—simple, cost-effective methods that optimize every drop of water by working with natural cycles.
- Forecasting and Early Warning
IKS holds an invaluable key for timely preparation through hyper-localized forecasting, allowing communities to gain vital response time:
- Bio-Indicators (India): Farmers watch the flowering time of local plants or the calls of indigenous birds. A delayed flowering might signal a weak monsoon, prompting them to switch to quicker-maturing crop varieties.
- Wildlife Observation (East Africa): In Kenya and Tanzania, the Maasai pastoralists have long relied on close observation of wildlife and livestock behavior to forecast weather changes. When zebras and wildebeests begin migrating earlier than usual, or when cattle refuse to graze in certain areas and start losing appetite, elders interpret these as early warning signs of a coming drought. This understanding of animal behavior often allows Maasai communities to act weeks or sometimes months before scientific forecasts are released. They respond by shifting grazing routes, conserving water, and implementing rotational grazing to protect both their herds and the rangelands. It’s a remarkable reminder that traditional ecological observation when respected and integrated, can be as precise and actionable as any modern early-warning system.
Likewise, the Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) movement across the Sahel (West Africa), a low-cost technique of ecosystem management. Where farmers protect and nurture the natural regrowth of trees on degraded farmland, restoring microclimates and halting soil erosion on a massive scale.
Challenges in Integration: Despite its value integrating IKS into formal climate policies and planning remains a major challenge both intellectually and institutionally. Infact, we faces several barriers to effective integration with formal climate policy and scientific frameworks.
| Challenge Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Epistemological Bias | Dominance of Western Science: IKS is often marginalized, undervalued, or dismissed as non-scientific, spiritual, or anecdotal by policymakers and researchers, hindering genuine co-production of knowledge. |
| Structural Barriers | Lack of Policy Recognition: IKS is not consistently or effectively integrated into national climate change policies (e.g., NAPs, NDCs) or decision-making processes, leading to top-down, non-contextual solutions. |
| Cultural Erosion | Loss of Knowledge: The oral transmission of IKS is threatened by modernization, urbanization, language loss, and the passing of elders, leading to its rapid disappearance. |
| Socio-Political Issues | Power Imbalances & FPIC: Historical marginalization and exploitation of indigenous communities leads to mistrust. Without robust mechanisms like Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), there is a high risk of knowledge appropriation. |
| Practical Limitations | Context-Specificity: IKS is highly place-based, making it difficult to standardize or scale up for broader application in large-scale modern projects or in the face of unprecedented, rapid climate change. |
The Path Forward: Knowledge Co-Production
The future of climate action lies in knowledge co-production, a partnership model where IKS and modern science are treated as complementary and equally valuable, which our systems lack the humility to recognize it.. This requires moving away from top-down, science-only approaches. Bridging this gap requires mutual respect, genuine collaboration, and a shift from extraction to partnership. Only then can we create climate solutions that are both locally grounded and globally relevant.
To harness the full potential of this India-Africa partnership, four crucial steps must be taken:
- Respect and Recognition: Legally recognize the rights of indigenous peoples and their traditional land tenure systems.
- Genuine Participation: Involve Indigenous Knowledge holders as equal partners in every stage of policy design and implementation, not just as token participants.
- Capacity Building: Support communities in documenting their knowledge and adapting their traditional practices to today’s rapidly changing climate. IKS calendar can be developed. These calendars don’t just tell a farmer when to plant; they tell them which variety to plant and how deep to plant it, based on the predicted onset and intensity of the rains as read from the natural indicators. This knowledge guides critical activities like planting, harvesting, and water conservation, allowing communities to make real-time, adaptive decisions to manage climate variability.
- Ethical Frameworks: Create clear protocols to protect intellectual property and ensure that Free, Prior, and Informed Consent is always respected when utilizing IKS.
Conclusion:
Harnessing Indigenous Knowledge Systems is not just important, it is essential for creating climate responses that are effective, equitable, and sustainable across India and Africa. But to truly realize this potential, we need a fundamental shift in how we think. We must move away from a top-down, science-only approach and embrace one of co-production and mutual learning- one that recognizes indigenous communities as equal partners and knowledge holders in their own right. Protecting indigenous rights, encouraging dialogue between traditional wisdom and modern science, and providing dedicated support for local adaptation. These are not optional steps; they are essential if we have to unlock the full power of Indigenous Knowledge. When we combine this profound, time-tested wisdom with the precision of modern tools like satellite data, climate modeling, and early warning systems, we don’t just improve our forecasts; we build trust. We create a resilience system that communities believe in, act upon, and sustain. And let me emphasize that harnessing Indigenous Knowledge is not about looking backward. It’s about learning from the past to build a stronger, more resilient future. India and Africa have an opportunity to lead by example and to offer the world a new, inclusive, and ethical model of climate action, one that is deeply rooted in the land and guided by respect for those who have protected it for generations.
Dr. Rashmi Rani Anand, Centre for African Studies, School of International Studies, SIS, JNU
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.