The Role of Local Ecological Knowledge in Climate Change Adaptation among Smallholder Farmers in Mbereshi Village of Mwansabombwe District: A Case Study

Abstract

This study investigated the role of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) in climate change adaptation among smallholder farmers in Mbereshi village. The study examined smallholder farmers’ perception of climate change, their traditional knowledge and practices, and the effectiveness of LEK in enhancing agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability. The study used a mixed-methods research design, combining both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29.0 was used to examine quantitative datasets. Thus a multiple regression analysis was used to determine the predictive influence of multiple independent variables on LEK use while a Chi-square test was performed to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference in farmers’ perception of climate variability and change across the main climate variables considered for the study. The qualitative datasets were analysed using a thematic and descriptive approach. Study findings show that age and farming experience were significant predictors of LEK use in the multiple regression model while farmers’ perception of changes in the major climate variables were statistically significant based on the Chi-square test. The study shows that 91 percent of farmers were aware of changing climatic trends, especially on the commencement and frequency of rainfall variations while 86 percent of them indicated using LEK to guide their adaptation, early cultivation, crop rotation, and seed selection processes, among others. The results also indicate that farmers who implemented LEK observed an increase in crop yield. Farmers were also able to practice conservation tillage, organic fertilization, and agroforestry, indicating a great sense of commitment to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The study concludes that LEK is a useful traditional strategy for climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience. Study findings also strongly support the incorporation of LEK use in national climate change adaptation plans, and hence the study’s proposal for use of hybrid knowledge systems that blend indigenous wisdom with scientific innovation.