Impatti, adattamento e vulnerabilita Le cause e le responsabilita dei cambiamenti climatici sono state trattate sul numero di ottobre della rivista Cda. Approfondiamo l’argomento presentando il documento: “Cambiamenti climatici 2007: impatti, adattamento e vulnerabilita” votato ad aprile 2007 dal secondo gruppo di lavoro del Comitato Intergovernativo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Si tratta del secondo di tre documenti che compongono il quarto rapporto sui cambiamenti climatici.

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Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.

▶ Addresses a wide range of timely environment, economic and energy topics ▶ A forum to review, analyze and stimulate the development, testing and implementation of mitigation and adaptation strategies at regional, national and global scales ▶ Contributes to real-time policy analysis and development as national and international policies and agreements are discussed and promulgated ▶ 94% of authors who answered a survey reported that they would definitely publish or probably publish in the journal again

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change

The Lie of the Land: Challenging received wisdom on the African environment

This article examined the contribution of indigenous knowledge to disaster risk reduction activities in Zimbabwe. The current discourse underrates the use of indigenous knowledge of communities by practitioners when dealing with disasters', as the knowledge is often viewed as outdated and primitive. This study, which was conducted in 2016, sought to examine this problem through analysing the potential contribution of indigenous knowledge as a useful disaster risk reduction intervention. Tsholotsho district in Matabeleland, North province of Zimbabwe, which frequently experiences perennial devastating floods, was used as a case study. Interviews and researcher observations were used to gather data from 40 research participants. The findings were that communities understand weather patterns and could predict imminent flooding after studying trees and clouds, and the behaviours of certain animal species. Local communities also use available local resources to put structural measures in place as part of disaster risk reduction interventions. Despite this important potential, the study found that the indigenous knowledge of disaster risk reduction of the communities is often shunned by practitioners. The practitioners claim that indigenous knowledge lacks documentation, it is not found in all generational classes, it is contextualised to particular communities and the knowledge cannot be scientifically validated. The study concluded that both local communities and disaster risk reduction practitioners can benefit from the indigenous knowledge of communities. This research has the potential to benefit communities, policymakers and disaster risk reduction practitioners.

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The contribution of indigenous knowledge to disaster risk reduction activities in Zimbabwe: A big call to practitioners

There's a growing recognition by scholars that local-indigenous knowledge can make important contributions to both disaster risk reduction and managing environmental change. This paper interrogated the local-indigenous knowledge and practices of the Mamanwa indigenous peoples in Basey, Samar, after Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines in November 2013. Data for this study were drawn from ethnographic fieldwork from late 2018 to early 2020. This paper is broken up into three parts. The first part presents how Mamanwas utilize their local-indigenous knowledge in times of disaster in relation to 1) emergency evacuation and post-Haiyan relocation; 2) food and livelihood security strategies; 3) weather forecasts from animals, and 4) celestial bodies, and 5) the role of community elders as local hazard forecasters. Next, the study analyzes the lack of regard to integrate local-indigenous knowledge into disaster risk reduction (DRR) state policies such as the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act and the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act as well as the low regard on local-indigenous knowledge of non-indigenous people manifested in social prejudice and discrimination. Despite these, local DRR practitioners find innovative ways to integrate local-indigenous knowledge in local programs and activities. Following Haiyan, the elderly Mamanwas also dedicated special activities to ensure the transmission and preservation of their local-indigenous knowledge in the younger members of their community. The authors argue that in addition to the inclusion and better articulation of local-indigenous knowledge in relevant State policies, the meaningful participation of local communities including Indigenous Peoples should be the focus of local DRR actors.

Local-indigenous knowledge on disaster risk reduction: Insights from the Mamanwa indigenous peoples in Basey, Samar after Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines

Indigenous knowledge is valuable knowledge that has helped local communities all over the world survive for generations. This knowledge originates from the interaction between members of the community and the environment in which they live. Although much has been written about indigenous knowledge, its documentation in the area of disaster risk reduction and climate change in Africa has been very limited. The wealth of this knowledge has not been well-recognised in the disaster risk reduction field, as policy-makers still rely on mitigation strategies based on scientific knowledge. Colonialism and lack of proper documentation of indigenous knowledge are some of the contributing factors to this. Ignoring the importance of understanding adaptive strategies of the local people has led to failed projects. Understanding how local people in Africa have managed to survive and adapt for generations, before the arrival of Western education, may be the key to developing sustainable policies to mitigate future challenges. Literature used in this article, obtained from the books, papers and publications of various experts in the fields of disaster risk reduction, climate change, indigenous knowledge and adaptation, highlight the need for more interest to be shown in indigenous knowledge, especially in the developing country context. This would lead to better strategies which originate from the community level but would aim for overall sustainable development in Africa.

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Nnamdi G. Iloka

Papers

Indigenous knowledge for disaster risk reduction: An African perspective.