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Through advancements in technology humans have cultivated more food, used more fossil fuel reserves, polluted the environment, and caused climate change. This was not the case some few decades ago where indigenous technologies were used in exploiting natural resources. Unfortunately, the effects of climate change on the planet are no more distant reality. The melting of glaciers, rising sea levels, extreme rainfall, and prolonged drought are already being experienced. These have affected water resources, land, and food security across the world. The limits of conventional climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies call for the integration of indigenous knowledge and technologies for tackling climate change issues. This is because of the importance that indigenous knowledge and technologies have for identifying the impacts and as well providing effective adaption and mitigation strategies to climate change. Thus, this chapter explores the potential of indigenous knowledge and technologies for the sustainable management of water, land, and food security amidst climate change. The applications of indigenous technologies and knowledge such as agroforestry, the use of sacred groves to conserve water, land, and biodiversity resources, and the practising of conservation-agriculture are discussed as solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water shortages, land degradation, and pollution. However, these indigenous technologies will be less useful in today's world if not harnessed. Thus also in this chapter, the scientific know-how available to improve the effectiveness of indigenous technologies for the sustainable use of water, land, and food resources have been identified (Robotics, sensors/detectors, internet of things) and discussed.

Conversion of agricultural wastes into eco-friendly and low cost biochar is not only a smart recycling strategy but a panacea to environmental pollution management. Agricultural wastes biochar can be an effective alternative technique for controlling contaminants due to its low cost, high-efficiency, simple to use, ecological sustainability and reliability in terms of public safety. Biochars have made substantial breakthroughs in reducing greenhouse gases emissions, reducing soil nutrient leaching, sequester atmospheric carbon into the soil, increasing agricultural productivity, and reducing bioavailability of environmental contaminants. Recent advances in the understanding of biochars warrant a proper scientific evaluation of the relationship between its properties and impact on soil properties, environmental pollutant remediation, plant growth, yield, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The main factors controlling biochar properties include the nature of feedstock, heat transfer rate, residence time and pyrolysis temperature. Biochar efficacy in pollutants management largely depends on its elemental composition, ion-exchange capacity, pore size distribution and surface area, which vary with the nature of feedstock, preparation conditions and procedures. The chapter explored the possibility of using biochar from agricultural wastes as a suitable alternative for the remediation of environmental pollutants, soil conditioning and the long-term biochar application in the environment.

The research aim was to quantify PAHs levels and assess their associated carcinogenic health risks in fuel filling stations located in both high and low vehicular traffic areas in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana. Dust particles were collected from ten fuel filling stations and extracted using an Accelerated Solvent Extractor (ASE). PAH analysis was conducted using a GC-MS system. Cancer risk assessment was done using the Incremental Life-time Cancer Risk (ILCR) model. The average PAH concentration recorded in the high and low vehicular traffic areas were 158,080±102,650 μg/kg and 370,220±218,140 μg/kg respectively. Benzo(a)Anthra­cene was the most occurring PAH congener recorded in both traffic areas. Dermal contact as a route of PAH exposure recorded the highest potential cancer risk for both adults and children. Amongst the fuel filling stations, Gab Energy recorded the highest carcinogenic risks of 2.50 (adults) and 2.67 (children). In all, the average cancer risk values for adults (1.02) was slightly higher than that of the children (9.26E-01) with no significant difference. The mean ƩILCR val­ues for both populations indicated a high to very high potential carcinogenic risk to the people living or working in and around the study areas.

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