A Systematic Review of the Deployment of Indigenous Knowledge Systems towards Climate Change Adaptation in Developing World Contexts: Implications for Climate Change Education

Abstract

Countries in the developing world are increasingly vulnerable to climate change effects and have a lesser capacity to adapt. Consideration can be given to their indigenous knowledge systems for an integrated approach to education, one which is more holistic and applicable to their context. This paper presents a systematic review of the indigenous knowledge systems (IKSs) deployed for climate change adaptation in the developing world and advances implications for climate change education. A set of inclusion criteria was used to screen publications derived from two databases and grey literature searches, and a total of 39 articles constituted the final selection. Postcolonial theory’s lens was applied to the review of the selected publications to highlight indigenous people’s agency, despite IKSs’ marginalization through colonial encounters and the ensuing epistemic violence. The categories of social adaptation, structural adaptation, and institutional adaptation emerged from the IKS-based climate change adaptation strategies described in the articles, with social adaptation being the most recurrent. We discussed how these strategies can be employed to decolonise climate change education through critical, place-based, participatory, and holistic methodologies. The potential outcome of this is a more relatable and effective climate change education in a developing world context.

A Diversified Integration Method of IPE Teaching Resources Based on Ant Colony Algorithm

“…Many networked and information-based educational concepts have gradually had an impact on traditional teaching methods and concepts, and some modern teaching methods have become widely used. In addition, many online educational resources are also easily integrated and utilized [16][17][18][19][20]. If teachers are con ned to classrooms or books, it will be di cult to carry out IPE work as well as improve the educational e ect.…”

Challenges and Opportunities for Climate Change Education (CCE) in East Africa: A Critical Review

“…Speranza, et al [55] also indicate that climate change education curricula in East Africa lack contextual relevance and devalue Indigenous knowledge due to the western teaching hegemony in the education system. Therefore, there is a need to promote locally based knowledge on climate change that communities can easily understand and apply to deal with climate variability [56]. Indeed, despite the arising debates regarding the accuracy of Indigenous knowledge systems as climate change continues in the future, small-scale farmers in East Africa are already utilizing their informal knowledge to adapt [31,46].…”

Decolonizing Climate Change Education: Evidence from an Empirical Study in Ghana

“…Traditional land-based teachings such as these are, therefore, important to rekindle these relationships with nature. Based on this, scholars (Mbah, Ajaps, & Molthan-Hill, 2021) have called for Indigenous Knowledges to be integrated into climate change education. To build stronger relationships, enhance capacity, and achieve climate action within the community, these ancestral knowledges must be considered in climate change education.…”

“…Decolonizing climate change education means giving multiple forms of knowledge equal representation in the climate change narrative (Chao & Enari, 2021;Mbah, Ajaps & Molthan-Hill, 2021;Whyte, 2017). That is in either mitigating or adapting to climate change.…”