By Samson Yaki
The Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan, has said that indigenous knowledge plays a significant role in the quest for sustainable development and innovative adaptation techniques as solutions to the effects of climate change in Africa.
“Indigenous Knowledge (IK), often rooted in centuries of experiential learning, profound observations, and intimate relationships with local environments, plays a pivotal role in the quest for sustainable development and innovative adaptation techniques as solutions to the frequent and severe droughts, water shortages, and expanding desertification caused by climate change in Africa,”
Professor Ladan stated in a keynote address at the 2024 Annual International Sustainable Development Dialogue (4th Edn) at Osun State University, Osogbo.
Professor Ladan described indigenous knowledge as being rooted in centuries of experiential learning, profound observations, and intimate relationships with local environments. He said it can provide valuable insights into climate adaptation strategies, including rainwater harvesting and sustainable farming practices.
The conference, themed “Harnessing Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Development,” took a giant step towards giving indigenous knowledge a priority place in tackling issues from indigenous perspectives and recognizing the importance of incorporating programs in Africa.
Professor Ladan criticized the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6-2022) for seeing indigenous knowledge as mere local practices, excluding indigenous people and their knowledge holders in research, and not recognizing indigenous peoples’ sovereignty over their knowledge systems. He called these negligences serious pitfalls in harnessing the gains of indigenous knowledge.
Presenting a template for harnessing indigenous knowledge into global climate change adaptation, Professor Ladan called on policymakers to:
– Recognize the value of indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation and take action to support its integration into policy and practice, as well as decision-making processes.
– Establish and support a policy and legal framework for using indigenous knowledge, which legitimizes local or community knowledge from African countries to solve their peculiar problems.
– Document and take inventory of applied cases of indigenous knowledge and practice adaptation in Africa, providing evidence-based information for further research, policy planning, and intervention design.
– Conduct thorough consultations with local researchers and relevant communities before undertaking any major project and legitimize successful innovative and local practices of these communities, involving them in any decision-making process.
– Encourage partnerships and collaborations between communities, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders for mutual learning.
– Include communities and their knowledge holders in every aspect of policy planning for sustainability.
– Provide resources for capacity building to enable local communities to enhance utilization and management of their knowledge of climate adaptation.