African Indigenous Knowledge of Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management in Changing Climate

Abstract

Climate change presents an unprecedented challenge to humanity. The changing climate threatens the very existence of humankind and the ways of life on Earth, including indigenous knowledge systems. The indigenous knowledge systems are threatened by climate change because they depend on natural factors such as trees, animals, and wind patterns, which can be affected by climate change. As the changing climate posits a significant challenge to the survival of species on earth, it begs the question ‘Are indigenous knowledge systems still relevant in a changing climate? This paper examined the African indigenous knowledge of climate change and disaster risk management in the context of the changing climate. The research was conducted in Mozambique, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon. The seven countries represent the six climatic zones in Africa. Africa's climate is categorised into six climate zones. These are equatorial, humid tropical, tropical, Sahelian, Mediterranean, and Desert. Following an in-depth analysis, the research found that, by contrast, the African indigenous knowledge systems and practices have evolved with the changing climate as the African indigenous communities have developed some of the advanced adaptation options to build resilience to climate change and the changing disaster risk paradigm