The contribution of indigenous knowledge to disaster risk reduction activities in Zimbabwe: A big call to practitioners
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indigenous knowledge of communities by practitioners when dealing with disasters’, as the knowledge is often viewed as outdated and primitive....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS (pty) Ltd
2021
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| Online Access: | https://jamba.org.za/index.php/jamba/article/view/493 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4553 |
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| author | Dube, Ernest Munsaka, Edson |
| author_facet | Dube, Ernest Munsaka, Edson |
| author_sort | Dube, Ernest |
| collection | DSpace |
| description | 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indigenous knowledge of communities by practitioners when dealing with disasters’, as the knowledge is often viewed as outdated and primitive.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. |
| format | Article |
| id | ir-11408-4553 |
| institution | My University |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | AOSIS (pty) Ltd |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ir-11408-45532022-06-27T13:49:06Z The contribution of indigenous knowledge to disaster risk reduction activities in Zimbabwe: A big call to practitioners Dube, Ernest Munsaka, Edson flooding disaster risk reduction indigenous knowledge communities practitioners 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. 2021-11-18T11:59:03Z 2021-11-18T11:59:03Z 2018 Article 1996-1421 https://jamba.org.za/index.php/jamba/article/view/493 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4553 en Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies , Vol.10 , No .1; open AOSIS (pty) Ltd |
| spellingShingle | flooding disaster risk reduction indigenous knowledge communities practitioners Dube, Ernest Munsaka, Edson The contribution of indigenous knowledge to disaster risk reduction activities in Zimbabwe: A big call to practitioners |
| title | The contribution of indigenous knowledge to disaster risk reduction activities in Zimbabwe: A big call to practitioners |
| title_full | The contribution of indigenous knowledge to disaster risk reduction activities in Zimbabwe: A big call to practitioners |
| title_fullStr | The contribution of indigenous knowledge to disaster risk reduction activities in Zimbabwe: A big call to practitioners |
| title_full_unstemmed | The contribution of indigenous knowledge to disaster risk reduction activities in Zimbabwe: A big call to practitioners |
| title_short | The contribution of indigenous knowledge to disaster risk reduction activities in Zimbabwe: A big call to practitioners |
| title_sort | contribution of indigenous knowledge to disaster risk reduction activities in zimbabwe: a big call to practitioners |
| topic | flooding disaster risk reduction indigenous knowledge communities practitioners |
| url | https://jamba.org.za/index.php/jamba/article/view/493 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4553 |
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