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M. Sraku-Lartey, E. Foli, D. Aboagye and P. O. Adjei The application of Indigenous Knowledge as a developmental resource was discussed at the first Global Knowledge Conference held in Toronto in June 1997. Government leaders and civil society groups at that conference urged the World Bank and other donors to learn from local communities Indigenous Knowledge for Development Programme of the World Bank was subsequently established in 1998 in partnership with over a dozen organizations. Countries have consequently undertaken various activities to build on IK in the areas of agriculture, healthcare, natural resources management and education. The UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples, in June 2006 recognizes ◦ “that respect for indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices contributes to sustainable and equitable development and proper management of the environment.” The role of Indigenous Knowledge in sustainable national development cannot be overemphasised. IK is applicable in several areas of development Emerging area for the application of IK globally is in the area of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded in its fourth report that global climate change is already happening and that communities who live in marginal lands and whose livelihoods are highly dependent on natural resources are among the most vulnerable to climate change The poor natural-resource dependent communities in the developing world are especially vulnerable to climate change, especially those living in high-risk areas such as small islands or low lying coastal areas Intensive studies have been conducted on climate change globally on the challenges encountered by local communities in adapting to or mitigating the impact of climate change all over the world. Initial efforts at dealing with the problem of global warming concentrated on mitigation, with the aim of reducing and possibly stabilizing greenhouse gases (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere Source: Schubert et al. 2007 A desk study to analyse the available literature on the use of Indigenous Knowledge in climate change adaptation in Ghana was undertaken journal publications, research and technical reports, online databases and the Internet were used Online databases. (10) Articles recorded in these databases were accessed and reviewed. Refereed journal articles (over 60) Relevant books on the topic (5) Government reports (5) Technical reports (5) Websites dealing with IK and climate change were also part of the study(10) Content analysis was undertaken Information base for a society which facilitates communication and decisionmaking. It is the basic component of any country’s knowledge system. knowledge that people in a given community have developed over time It is based on experience, often tested over centuries of use and adapted to local culture and environment, dynamic and changing. It is upon this knowledge that scientific research builds. belongs to a specific ethnic group local knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society oral in nature made up of the collective testimonies and recollections of the past inherited from earlier generations and transmitted in various forms of verbal testimonies Application of IK in Ghana is widespread Can be found in all regions Applied in many different disciplines Has not been documented Government has identified IK as a resource that can be harnessed for national development. IK has thus been captured as a programme in the National Science and Technology and Innovation Development Programme of Ghana. In 1960 approximately 100 cultural or indigenous groups were recorded in Ghana. These groups have many differences, their common trait is their Ghanaian nationality. In this paper indigenous people refers to local communities within an area. Ghana is experiencing changing climatic patterns. already experiencing an increase in extreme weather conditions such as higher incidences of flooding and longer periods of drought. local communities have had to adapt to the various climatic changes being experienced in order to sustain their livelihoods. This is manifest in ◦ High temperatures ◦ Intense erratic rainfall ◦ Rise in sea level Forty years observed data (1960-2000) shows that temperatures in all zones within the country are rising, rainfall in all agro-ecological zones of the country has also decreased rainfall becoming increasingly erratic. the frequency and intensity of rainfall, floods and landslides have been inconsistent extended periods of drought and intense heat have been linked to changing climatic patterns. the impact of climate change is being felt in all regions the impact is not uniform based on forty-year observed data from Ghana Meteorological Agency, it is predicted that temperatures will continue to rise on average at the following rate: 0.6oC by 2020 2.0oC by 2050 3.9oC by 2080 in all agro-ecological zones in Ghana. Rainfall is predicted to decrease on average by 2.8% by 2020, 10.9% by 2050 18.6% by 2080 in all agro-ecological zones. Sea level changes predict an average rise ◦ 5.8cm by 2020 ◦ 16.5cm by 2050 ◦ 34.5cm by 2080 Currently the east coast of Ghana, (Keta area) is experiencing an annual coastal erosion rate of 3 meters. Some communities (Totope, Gleefe) have almost disappeared on fisheries on human health on land management on agricultural production rural livelihoods and poverty linkages on the environment Gyampoh et al. (2009) for example studied five regions in Ghana (Upper East, Upper West, Northern, Western and Volta Regions) and analysed the use of indigenous knowledge in coping with climate change in those areas. In a similar study conducted in three rural communities in Ghana, Arku (2013) concluded that people’s understanding of what constitutes climate change is similar within local communities - change in the rainfall amount and distribution. Results of the various studies indicated that ◦ adaptation to climate change and variability occurs at multiple levels, ◦ from the smallholder to the national and global level. ◦ Farmers in Ghana are vulnerable to shocks such as flooding, seasonal variation and increases in temperature. Coping strategies are usually adopted to reduce vulnerability to these shocks Strategies adopted included traditional water conservation where water was reused for other purposes the use of disease resistant and drought tolerant species. planting mixtures of crops and cultivars adapted to different moisture conditions to help reduce the risk of complete crop failure using landraces resistant to climate stresses mulching or water conservation engaging in multiple vocations during periods of drought, engaging in irrigated farming, rearing of animals to supplement income, petty trading The importance of traditional knowledge for the protection of biodiversity and the achievement of sustainable development is slowly being recognized internationally (Gadgil et al, 1993) and its relevance in national discourse cannot be underestimated. The use of IK to manage the environment constitutes an integral part of the cultural identity and social integrity of many indigenous populations. Their knowledge embodies a wealth of wisdom and experience of nature which has been gained over centuries from direct observations, and transmitted—most often orally—over generations. traditional knowledge systems adopt a more holistic approach to its knowledge ◦ do not separate observations into different disciplines as Western science ◦ do not interpret reality on the basis of a linear conception of cause and effect ◦ looks at knowledge as a world in which all elements are part of an entangled and complex web of interactions The ‘ethical space’ between Indigenous and Western Knowledge (JEROME A. HAMMERSMITH) It is hard to compare the two systems of knowledge that are so profoundly different. Trying to analyse and validate traditional knowledge systems by using external (scientific) criteria carries the risk of distorting such systems in the process. we cannot also extract just those parts of traditional knowledge that seem to measure up to scientific criteria and ignore the rest. each knowledge system is unique dialogue can become a tool for social cohabitation, as well as for discovering and enhancing knowledge. dialogue can catalyse the development of IK. It should be started between the locals and the scientists meanings in knowledge should be shared leaving no room for ambiguity. From the literature it is evident the various IK strategies have not been documented Even though IK is being used by local people the local strategies have also not been validated for use . Use appears therefore to be limited to the communities that use them. There are two NGO’s in Ghana working on Indigenous Knowledge They are Centre For Indigenous Knowledge Systems (CEFIKS) and Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organizational Development (CIKOD) Ghana Government has expressed the desire to harness Indigenous Knowledge for national development. There should be collaboration between these organisations and research institutions ◦ to harness and validate the local Indigenous Knowledge ◦ to document the validated information ◦ Ethical considerations and fair use policies should be initiated. ◦ Locals should not be short-changed ◦ Science should improve on this knowledge ◦ Country should reap benefits from this knowledge It is anticipated that if efforts are made to address the issues raised and measures are put in place we can begin to use our local knowledge to our advantage.