Indigenous Knowledge System and Agricultural Drought Adaptation in the uMkhanyakude District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

By deploying an intersectional feminist political ecology analysis, this paper explores small-scale farmers’ (SSFs’) experiences and responses to agricultural drought in the uMkhanyakude District Municipality, South Africa. A mixed methods approach was employed, incorporating a household questionnaire survey, and analysed using Microsoft Excel complemented by qualitative observations and document review, both of which underwent reflexive thematic analysis. The impacts of drought were particularly pronounced in the district, affecting agricultural productivity through reduced crop growth, extensive crop failures and increased livestock mortality. In addition, the study’s findings reveal how structural aspects of gender, shaped by social and cultural norms and institutions, can exacerbate gendered experiences of drought. SSFs actively leveraged the indigenous knowledge system (IKS) for adaptation, challenging dominant Eurocentric approaches. The efficacy of IKS in agriculture and its role in enhancing SSFs’ resilience to drought underscores its indispensability in policy and adaptation programmes. Furthermore, the study highlights potential ways to address and mitigate disparities among SSFs by avoiding simplistic and apolitical adaptation measures. Instead, it advocates for nuanced and contextually appropriate adaptation measures to ensure effective and equitable adaptation.