Climate Change Adaptation in Rwanda through Indigenous Knowledge Practice

Indigenous knowledge and farming practices significantly contribute to climate change resilience, with 75% of local farmers perceiving them as effective. These traditional methods rely on low-cost inputs like local crop varieties, residues, and cow dung, offering fewer environmental side effects compared to modern practices. The study, involving 100 indigenous knowledge holders near Nyungwe National Park (NNP) and Volcanoes National Park (VNP), identified deforestation, floods, volcanic activity changes, solar radiation shifts, and chemical fertilizer use as major climate threats. Integrating these practices into modern farming systems could enhance agricultural productivity while preserving the environment.

Taremwa, N. K., Gashumba, D., Butera, A., & Ranganathan, T. (2016). Climate Change Adaptation in Rwanda through Indigenous Knowledge Practice. Journal of Social Sciences, 46(2), 165–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/09718923.2016.11893524