Survivability to sustainability of biodiversity: what do ICTs and indigenous knowledge have to do with it?

ABSTRACT

Literature is awash with the term 'sustainability'; sustainable development, sustainable education, sustainable eco-system, sustainable this, sustainable that but, it all boil down "the balance among nature (ecology), people (community of social networks) and the economy which transcends one generation". Sustainability is driven by the thirst to improve quality of life through sustained economic growth; however, with the world's population growing exponentially, and an equal measure of world's resource decline, maintaining this has become a mountainous task. This has led to the 'survival-for-the-fittest' kind of scenario where many people are left pushing so hard to survive; for them, sustainability has slowly given way to survivability. Sustainable use of biodiversity is one area where African has lagged behind. Rampant biodiversity degradation and the inability to cope with the resultant changes are some of the reasons why the Continent tops the list of climate change vulnerability victims. As researchers develop solutions to ensure Africa's survivability amidst these changes, they must avoid "transferring of Northern designs to Southern realities". No one knows Africa's biodiversity more that the local people themselves; they are host to rich indigenous knowledge on biodiversity degradation and mitigation practices; they have observed and experienced the changes over the years. However, this knowledge is facing threats from various circles and on its own, it may not deliver Africa's survivability tool. Information and telecommunications technology (ICT) provides the missing puzzle; integrating this with the indigenous knowledge (IK) is a sure way of improving survivability. In this paper, the design of such an integrated system for tracking biodiversity degradation is described and the link between the system and survivability demonstrated.

References

1. Kloepffer Walter, Life cycle sustainability assessment of products, 2008, The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, (13) 2, pp 89--95
2. CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) (1998) Convention on biological diversity, Text and annexes. ICAO. Canada
3. Reid, W. V. and K. R. Miller (1989).Where is the world's biodiversity located? In Keeping options alive: The scientific basis for conserving biodiversity. World Resources Institute.
4. Izidine, S. A., Siebert, S. J., van Wyk, A. E. and Zobolo, A. M. (2008). Taboo and Political Authority in Conservation Policy: A Case Study of the Licuati Forest in Maputaland, Mozambique. Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, 2(3): 373--390
5. Heeks, R. 2002. "I-development not e-development: special issue on ICTs and development", Journal of International Development, (14: 1), pp. 1--11.
6. ITU, 2013. The World 2013 ICT Facts and Figures. Available: {June 10, 2013}. www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/.../facts/ICTFactsFigures2013.pdf
7. Mobile data solutions, 2013, Mobile data solutions/Social business in South Africa, Available: http://ikapadata.tumblr.com/, (accessed 12 May 2013)
8. Sillitoe, P., 1998. The Development of Indigenous Knowledge: A New Applied Anthropology. Current Anthropology, 39 (2), pp. 223--252.
9. Brokensha, D., W., Warren, D., M. and Oswald, W., 1982. Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Development. American Anthropologist, 84(3), pp. 671--672.
10. Orlove, B., RoncolI, C., Merit, K. and Abushen, M., 2009. Indigenous climate knowledge in southern Uganda: the multiple components of a dynamic regional system. Climate Change, 100 (2), pp. 243--265.
11. Mercer, J., Kelman, I., Taranis, L. and Suchet-Pearson, S., 2010. Framework for integrating indigenous and scientific knowledge for disaster risk reduction. Disasters, 34 (1), pp. 214--239.
12. Mugabe, F. T., C. P. Mubaya, D. Nanja, P. Gondwe, A. Munodawafa, E. Mutswangwa, I. Chagonda, P. Masere, J. Dimes, C. Murewi, 2010. Use of indigenous knowledge systems and scientific methods for climate forecasting in southern Zambia and north western Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Journal of Technological Sciences, 1 (1)
13. Ziervogel, G. and Opere, A., 2010. Integrating meteorological and indigenous knowledge-based seasonal climate forecasts for the agricultural sector: Lessons from participatory action research in sub-Saharan Africa. 2010. http://web.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/12882908321CCAA_seasonal_forecasting.pdf: IDRC.
14. Dondeyne, S., Emanuel, L., B. and Deckers, J., A., 2003. Mr Napite's Botanical Knowledge: Bridging Farmers' and Scientists' Insights During Participatory Research. African Journal Of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, 2 (2), pp. 45--57.
15. Aparna, P. and Trivedi, P. C., 2011. Cultural Values and Indigenous Knowledge of climate change and disaster prediction in Rajasthan, India. Indian Journal of Indigenous Knowledge, 10 (1), pp. 183--189.
16. Luseno, W. K., Mcpeak, J. G., Barrett, C. B., Little, P. D. and Gebru, G., 2003. Assessing the value of climate forecast information for pastoralists: evidence from southern Ethiopia and Northern Kenya 31, pp. 1477--1494.
17. Masinde, M., Bagula, A. And Muthama, N., 2012b. The Role of ICTs in Downscaling and Up-scaling Integrated Weather Forecasts for Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, M. Best L., Z. Ellen, D. Jonathan, G. Beki and M. Gary, eds. In: The Fifth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development, March 12--15 2012, ACM Digital Library, pp. 122.
18. Blench, R. and Marriage, Z., 1999. Drought and Livestock in Semi-arid Africa and Southwest Asia. Working Paper. http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/docs/2533.pdf: Overseas Development Institute, Portland House.
19. Stigter, C. J., Zheng, D., Onyewotu, L. O. Z. and MEI, X., 2005. Using Traditional Methods and Indigenous Technologies for Coping with Climate Variability. Increasing Climate Variability and Change, 70, pp. 255--271.
20. Dekens, J., 2007. Local Knowledge for Disaster Preparedness. A Literature Review. Kathmandu: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.
21. Masinde, M., 2012b, ITIKI: Bridge between African Indigenous Knowledge and Modern Science on Drought Prediction', PhD thesis, University of Cape Town
22. Roncoli, C., 2006. Ethnographic and participatory approaches to research on farmers' responses to climate predictions. Climate Research, 33 (1), pp. 81--99.
23. Sabine, M., Marx, Elke, U., Webera, Benjamin, S., Orlovea, Anthony, L., David, H., Krantza, Carla, R. and Jennifer, P., 2007. Communication and mental processes: Experiential and analytic processing of uncertain climate information. Global Environmental Change, 17 (2007), pp. 47--58.
24. Brokensha, D., W., Warren, D., M. and Oswald, W., 1982. Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Development. American Anthropologist, 84(3), pp. 671--672.
25. Thrupp, L., A., 1989. Legalising local knowledge: from displacement to empowerment for Third World people. Agriculture and Human Values, 6 (1989), pp. 13--24.
26. Flora, C., 1992. Reconstructing agriculture: the case for local knowledge. Rural Sociology, 57 (1992), pp. 92--97.
27. Richard-Van, C., Maele, Gaëlle, S. and Lisa, M., June, 12, 2011-last update, Weather, Water And Climate Information Provide Early Warnings That Save Lives {Homepage of World Meteorological Organisation}, {Online}.Available {May 13, 2012}. http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/factsheet/Earlywarning_en.html
28. Virji, H., Cory, F., Amy, F. and Mayuri, S., 1997. Climate Variability, Water Resources and Agricultural Productivity: Food Security Issues in Tropical Sub-Saharan Africa. Workshop on Climate Variability Prediction: START/WCRP/OSTROM/SCOWAR. WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME, 2006-last update, Millennium Development Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty. Available: {May 08, 2012}. http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/goals/index.htm
29. Mutua, S., 2011. Strengthening Drought Early Warning At The Community And District Levels: Analysis Of Traditional Community Warning Systems In Wajir & Turkana Counties. Oxfam GB, PO Box 40680, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya: Oxfam GB, Kenya

Index Terms

• Applied computing

  • Computers in other domains

  • Physical sciences and engineering

    • Earth and atmospheric sciences