Muragijimana Christian, Ntakirutimana Theoneste, Khan Sohaib
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Jamba. 2024 Aug 13;16(1):1647. doi: 10.4102/jamba.v16i1.1647. eCollection 2024.
Climate change and recurring droughts-induced effects on health are becoming an increasingly main global, cultural and public health burden. The heaviest health burden leans on the fragile socio-economic systems among the remote agro-pastoral communities, living in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). Previous studies underlined the indispensability of indigenous knowledge (IK) for resilience-driven disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies. However, more attention has been drawn towards the necessity of IK in weather forecasts, with less emphasis on its indispensability to alleviate health burden associated with climate change and droughts. We explored the contextual application of IK-based adaptation and related complementarity aspects for culturally relevant and sustainable DRR strategies for the nomadic agro-pastoral communities in Lopur, Turkana, Kenya. Relying on a descriptive qualitative study in phenomenological approach, purposive sampling and focus group discussions with key community influencers, a thematic analysis was conducted for an in-depth understanding and interpretation of data patterns. The contextualised insights revealed the growing vulnerability as a result of the disconnect between modern interventions, IK and the newly adopted environmental degrading coping tactics. Policy-wise, the findings portrayed the necessity for cultural integration and incorporation of indigenous knowledge-based strategies and systems for reinforced information dissemination, accessibility and acceptability for droughts preparedness and response.
This study underlined the existing room for scientific exploration of the already existing indigenous knowledge-based solutions for food and water insecurity, towards improved resilience for the vulnerable communities experiencing inequitable climate change calamities in the ASALs.
气候变化和反复干旱对健康的影响正日益成为主要的全球、文化和公共卫生负担。最沉重的健康负担落在生活在干旱和半干旱地区（ASALs）的偏远农牧社区脆弱的社会经济系统上。先前的研究强调了本土知识（IK）对于以恢复力为导向的灾害风险减少（DRR）战略的不可或缺性。然而，更多的注意力被吸引到本土知识在天气预报中的必要性上，而较少强调其对于减轻与气候变化和干旱相关健康负担的不可或缺性。我们探索了基于本土知识的适应措施在肯尼亚图尔卡纳州洛普尔游牧农牧社区文化相关且可持续的灾害风险减少战略中的情境应用及相关互补方面。依靠现象学方法中的描述性定性研究、目的抽样以及与关键社区有影响力者的焦点小组讨论，进行了主题分析以深入理解和解释数据模式。情境化的见解揭示了由于现代干预、本土知识与新采用的环境退化应对策略之间的脱节而导致的日益增加的脆弱性。在政策方面，研究结果描绘了文化整合以及纳入基于本土知识的战略和系统以加强干旱防备和应对信息传播、可及性和可接受性的必要性。
本研究强调了对现有的基于本土知识的粮食和水不安全解决方案进行科学探索的空间，以提高在ASALs地区经历不公平气候变化灾难的脆弱社区的恢复力。
