Abstract
Data on environmental problems of the area, local manifestations of climate change, climate change coping strategies, rainfall prediction mechanisms and their threats were collected in three systematically selected administrative units of the study area using focus group discussion, key informant interview and household (HH) survey from May to June, 2017. Focus group (FG) discussion that participate youth, elders, women, religion and tradition leaders and experts with average members of 15 was organized at each administrative units. Sample key informants (KI) were selected by the focus group members by setting criteria to get deep information. HH survey was conducted from randomly selected 92 HHs samples determined by Kothari (2004). Qualitative data analysis method was used to summarize the information. Results showed that environmental problems in the area are directly or indirectly related to climate. And the communities rely on their indigenous rainfall prediction using meteorological, astronomic and animal behavioral indicators. The main indicators are: wind direction, appearance and shape of cloud, star pattern, moon’s appearance, cattle behavior, chirping of bird, bee’s migration, and color of lake and appearance of rainbow. The study also depicted that most (85%) of the communities heavily rely on the indigenous knowledge for planning agricultural activities or early warnings for preparedness. However, it has been threatened due to critics by religious people, lack of trust of young generation, degradation of the indicators and lack of documentation. There is need for careful evaluation and enhancement for social-ecological resilience of the vulnerable communities.
Highlights
Climate change has become the major environmental challenges the world is facing today
Sample key informants (KI) were selected by the focus group members by setting criteria’s like; who dwelled in the area for more than 20 years, whose livelihood is agriculture, who participate in social mechanisms and who have known to have full of knowledge on traditional weather forecasting
The HH survey result showed that 85% of the respondents heavily rely on indigenous rainfall prediction for agricultural activities decision making
Summary
Climate change has become the major environmental challenges the world is facing today. Climate change affects the whole world, its impact is substantial in least developed countries. The terms indigenous, traditional and/or local knowledge refers to knowledge and know-how that is accumulated through experience and guides human societies in their interactions with their surrounding environment. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) refers to the evolving knowledge acquired by indigenous and local people over hundreds or thousands of years through direct contact with the environment [2]. It was forgotten due to industrialization, recently it was recognized mainly in areas of natural resource management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity conservation and weather forecast [2, 3]
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