Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Adaptation & Agriculture

C limate impacts are reshaping farming techniques across the world. Unreliable rainfall and unpredictable flash floods have made food production in the Global South increasingly complex and expensive. What was once part of the social fabric—and an integral expression of cultural heritage—is now at risk of disintegration. Many Indigenous seed varieties have already been lost, and ancient regenerative practices for pest control and soil amendment are under serious threat of being replaced.

The custodians of this ancient wisdom have long understood how to adapt to seasonal shifts. For example, drought-resistant seeds such as Indigenous pumpkins and mung beans were traditionally selected for low-rainfall seasons. Cultural farming practices involved careful seed collection to ensure that certain varieties were preserved until conditions allowed for their cultivation. Weather changes have been observed “since time immemorial,” and elders have relied on deep ecological knowledge—cosmology, the behavior of trees, bird and animal migration, the movement of ants, tidal patterns, and even the digestive changes of herbivores—to anticipate environmental shifts. These observations informed preparations for agriculture and, for pastoralist communities, guided seasonal migration.

The harsh reality of climate change in the Global South is visible in the nutritional health of entire populations. Many countries continue to grapple with drought and famine. During a recent visit to Zambia, I learned that the country has been battling an unprecedented drought since 2024—its worst in nearly 30 years. This has created profound challenges for national resilience. Severe food and water shortages have affected nearly half the population, with youth and children being the most vulnerable.

Yet, amid these challenges, communities are leading the way. In Magoye and Mutema Bweengwa, two Zambian communities have become inspiring examples of climate adaptation. They are implementing ecosystem-based adaptation, a form of nature-based solution, to revitalize local water recharge systems. This approach involves digging shallow “recharge trenches” around 5 meters long and 1 meter deep. These trenches capture and conserve water, enhance groundwater recharge, reduce soil erosion, and support sustainable agriculture and pasture growth.

This experience offered valuable insights that I have applied to my own work in Eastern Kenya, which faces similar climate challenges. Training smallholder farmers in arid regions on soil fertility and water retention has been strengthened by lessons from Zambia’s local innovations. Indigenous methods of pest control, soil amendment, and water retention—such as the use of biochar, a foundational adaptation strategy in my project—were also embraced by Zambian farmers. This demonstrates the transformative power of peer-to-peer learning and exchange as an effective strategy for scaling adaptation measures.

The heat is intensifying, and both plants and animals are feeling the strain. The quality and quantity of agricultural produce have been significantly affected. But when innovation and technology are combined with Indigenous agricultural practices, they create a sustainable adaptation formula—one that preserves cultural heritage while strengthening resilience for the future.

The ideas presented in this article aim to inspire adaptation action – they are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Global Center on Adaptation.

Related blog posts: