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Climate change education for sustainable development through basic
climate change science and fire education
Overson SHUMBA
Copperbelt University, Kitwe, Zambia
Paper presented under Thematic Area 2: ‘Draw from a variety of knowledge sources’ of the UNESCO Experts Meeting
on Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development in Africa20-22 March 2013, Mauritius.
Slash and burn... then crop...food security or deforestration?
• Indigenous agriculture and land-use practices often perceived simply as
destructive...fire at heart of some of those practices... not much attempt
to explore the rationality
Mines ... Economy! But how of?
Charcoal industry... Energy security...
Poverty alleviation.. Or deforetration?
Fair or unfair criticism
• ‘Backward traditional practices’ leading to
– ...Deforestation, erosion, loss of nutrients and soil
fertility, biodiversity loss, and climate change
• May be discriminatory and undervaluing the rationality and
socio-historical factors and realities, e.g.,
– No information or capacity to forecast what to expect from climate
change
– Survival needs
– No financial or political muscle
‘Indigenous’ rationality bourn out of long history of observation
and experience
• Knowledge and practice bourn out of experience that bears
scientific rationality that may be based on the impact of fire
on the ecosystem
+ Increased soil fertility
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Natural fertilisers stored in vegetation
Low pH soils need ‘ash’ to raise pH level
Certain plant species favoured and easier to manage weeds
Enhanced soil nitrification and micro-nutrients, e.g., Zn, Mn
(-) Loss of soil nutrients
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Loss of soil C, N, P
Loss of water inflitration and retention (hydrophobicity) and increased runoff
Decreased soil organisms
Fallow periods... Recovery and regeneration periods
‘Indigenous’ rationality of practices in the face of poverty, risk and vulnerability?
• Practices contributing to ‘resilient communities’ faced
with poverty and vulnerability and social risks
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Land husbandry and food security
Employment
Management of Weeds and Pests
Biodiversity
• Indigenous rationality not based on anticipation of climate change
BUT it does NOT mean indigenous people are helpless in the
mitigation and/or adaptation to its impacts... need interventions that
at the same time demonstrate the value basis of local practices while
at the same time providing evidence to question these practices
‘Learning to explore the dialectic between tradition and innovation’
• “Underpinning this process is the need to explore
cultural values and traditions in a way which respect
diversity, protect traditional knowledge and if
necessary challenge exploitative practices” (Tilbury,
2011).
• Interrogating the ‘dialectic between tradition and
innovation’ is an important agenda for CCE and hence
the need for teacher resources that are ‘communityconnected’ or ‘community-connecting’ ... often
indigenous philosophies and practices are not only
ecologically and socially intelligent but sustainable!
Propose need for community-connected resources for teachers
• Example: Exploring Community Practices Associated With Fire and
Relevance for CCE
• Collect examples of community practices and their history, e.g., slash and
burn, chitemene, and exploit opportunities to learn and change
• Explore their rationality (e.g., empirical experience and the scientific basis)
of practices relative to environmental and sustainable development issues
• Engage people to assess knowledge, awareness, and attitudes towards
Climate Change and what needs to be done for Mitigation and Adaptation
• Designing instructional resources carrying
– Basic climate change science
– Interrogating local practices
– Exploring future capabilities for sustainablility
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Explore for example:
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History of fire in the community
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The Science of Fire and Burning
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[survey of fire uses and its management; traditional and modern knowledge and practices of fire use and
management and their scientific rationality; how shared]
[Practical investigations and experimental work: What happens to soil organisms and nutrients (C, N, P, etc),
habitats, and vegetation? N, C, and H2O cycle; Exploring existing and alternative income generating activities
and impacts on community; Surveys exploring CC awareness and attitudes; exploring local lifestyles and climate
change and change projects]
Fire, Nutrient Cycles and Biodiversity
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[chemistry and science of fire and combustion; flammability of earth; basic fire education; basic climate change
science]
Fire, Ecosystems, Economy, and Society
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[including myths and rituals involving fire; traditional fire uses and management practices and the rationality]
[fire and natural nutrient cycles; positive and negative impacts on bio-diversity]
Fire, Lifestyles and Climate Change
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[fire and climate change; fire as an important part of climate change, fire impacting climate change; climate
change impact on fire incidence and cycles]
• Interest to participate?
• Contact: [email protected]