The contribution of indigenous knowledge to disaster risk reduction activities in Zimbabwe: A big call to practitioners
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Date
2018-03-26
Authors
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Publisher
AOSIS
Abstract
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as outdated and primitive.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.
Description
Open access research journal article
Keywords
Zimbabwe, Disaster risk, Indigenous knowledge, Risk Practitioners
Citation
Dube, E. and Munsaka, E. (2018).‘The contribution of indigenous knowledge to disaster risk reduction activities in Zimbabwe: A big call to practitioners’, Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies 10(1), a493 p 1-8.