Climate Change Impacts Can Be Differentially Perceived Across Time Scales: A Study Among the Tuareg of the Algerian Sahara

Abstract

As an Indigenous community of Algeria and the broader Sahel, the Tuareg hold unique ecological knowledge, which might contribute to broader models of place‐based climate change impacts. Between January and April 2019, we carried out semi‐structured interviews ( N = 23) and focus group discussions ( N = 3) in five villages of the province of Illizi, Algeria, to document the local Tuareg community's timeline and ecological calendar, both of which are instruments used to understand place‐based reports of climate change impacts. The livelihoods of the Tuareg of Illizi are finely tuned to climate variability as reflected in changes reported in the cadence of events in their ecological calendar (marked by cyclical climatic and religious events). Participants reported rain and temperature irregularities and severe drought events, which have impacted their pastoral and semi‐pastoral livelihoods. These reports are aligned with scientifically measured climate observations and predictions. Paradoxically, although participants recall with detail the climatic disasters that happened in the region over the last century, the Tuareg do not explicitly report decadal trends in the frequency of extreme events. The differential perception of climate change impacts across scales can have important implications for undertaking climate change adaptation measures.

Local indicators of climate change impacts described by indigenous peoples and local communities: Study protocol

“…Second, data collected through this protocol will improve our understanding of the impacts of climate change on local livelihoods, from changes in cropping patterns and damages related to extreme events [ 33 ], to disease outbreaks or to the increase in conflicts over dwindling resources [ 34 ]. While responding to climate change demands adjusting to weather and climate changes; identifying risks, making decisions on how to respond, and implementing such decisions are all mediated by socioeconomic and cultural factors [ 3 ].…”

“…The second challenge is to adequately capture the temporal dimension of change, as neglecting it might lead to conflate climate change and weather variability. For example, in a case study derived from this work [ 33 ], researchers found that Tuareg participants reported the impact of rain and temperature irregularities and severe drought events on their pastoral and semi-pastoral livelihoods. Paradoxically, they did not explicitly report decadal trends in the frequency of extreme events.…”

“…To overcome the challenge, we put large emphasis in designing a flexible protocol. This strategy also increases the diversity of outcomes from the project, as reflected in the first case studies published by partners who have used data collected through Step 1 [ 33 , 34 , 37 ]. We also invested in the training of partners to understand the concepts behind the questions, so they could use their experience to locally adapt the protocol.…”

Evolution of Landscapes and Land Cover in Old Villages of Ziz Oasis (East Morocco) and SWOT Analysis for Potential Sustainable Tourism

“…Moreover, ref. [70] recorded that the floods caused huge damage to the village in the Tuareg oasis (Algerian Sahara), which led to the migration of residents away from the streams. On the other hand, the expansion of urbanization inside the villages of Ziz have developed new tourist and commercial spaces, which create new opportunities for visitors and local populations.…”

Rhythms of the Earth—Editorial Introduction

“…The Indigenous communities featured in our Special Issue are responding to both long‐term trends and increasing variability in the climate. In “Climate Change Impacts Can Be Differentially Perceived Across Time Scales: A Study Among the Tuareg of the Algerian Sahara,” an international team led by an Algerian scholar (Miara et al., 2022 ) apply a protocol developed by the Local Indicators of Climate Change Impacts initiative to evaluate local knowledge of climate changes in relation to livelihood activities and cultural practices. The authors find that Tuareg participants are more keenly aware of interannual (cyclical) variability, which they attribute to climate change, than they are of longer‐term trends, despite providing evidence of dramatic changes over the past several decades.…”