Chanza Nelson, Musakwa Walter
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
J Environ Stud Sci. 2022;12(3):534-546. doi: 10.1007/s13412-022-00757-x. Epub 2022 Feb 22.
This study demonstrates that Indigenous local observations and experiences can enrich knowledge of climate change, particularly in data-deficient regions that are not adequately covered by weather stations. Paradoxically, these places host groups of Indigenous Peoples who have rich knowledge about their local climates from their many years of constant interactions with the environment. The study used group-based semi-structured interviews to collaborate with keystone elderly participants who had profound knowledge and lived experiences about observed changes in their local environment ( = 13). These participants were identified through theoretical sampling from four remote Indigenous villages of Mbire District in Zimbabwe. The purpose of the study was to identify indicators of climate change impacts from communities believed not to have been much influenced by the scientific construct of climate change. Results revealed that the locals have a keen interest to closely observe changes occurring in their environment, including finer accounts of experiences with climatic events, owing to their predominantly climate-sensitive livelihoods. These results corroborate existing evidence about a warmer and drier climate and the reported increase in the frequency and severity of drought as well as floods in the area, and add finer details to the changes in ecological, hydrological and human systems, which are not sufficiently reported in existing climate impact studies. We also flagged new observations in biological systems as pointers for further intensive investigation. Given the complexity associated with understanding impacts of climate change and the urgent need to refine knowledge about the same, we argued for perforation of the boundaries of climate science to accommodate enriching perceptions of Indigenous communities who have been religiously observing changes happening in their local environment, albeit being relegated.
本研究表明，原住民的本地观察和经验可以丰富对气候变化的认识，特别是在气象站覆盖不足的数据匮乏地区。矛盾的是，这些地方居住着原住民群体，他们通过多年与环境的持续互动，对当地气候有着丰富的知识。该研究采用基于小组的半结构化访谈，与13位对当地环境观察变化有着深厚知识和生活经验的关键老年参与者合作。这些参与者是通过从津巴布韦姆比尔区的四个偏远原住民村庄进行理论抽样确定的。该研究的目的是从被认为受气候变化科学概念影响不大的社区中确定气候变化影响的指标。结果显示，由于他们主要从事对气候敏感的生计，当地人对密切观察其环境中发生的变化有着浓厚兴趣，包括对气候事件经历的更详细描述。这些结果证实了关于该地区气候变暖和干燥以及报告的干旱和洪水频率及严重程度增加的现有证据，并为现有气候影响研究中未充分报告的生态、水文和人类系统变化增添了更详细的内容。我们还标记了生物系统中的新观察结果，作为进一步深入调查的指针。鉴于理解气候变化影响的复杂性以及迫切需要完善关于气候变化的知识，我们主张突破气候科学的界限，以接纳原住民社区丰富的认知，尽管他们一直被边缘化，但他们一直在虔诚地观察当地环境中发生的变化。
