Understanding How Indigenous Knowledge Contributes to Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today threatening societies and the future of the planet. The impacts of climate change are more severe in poor and marginalised populations like Indigenous communities where people rely heavily on their Indigenous Knowledge (IK) to adapt to the changing environment. Climate change adaptation and resilience are critical for the survival of Indigenous communities under the threat of climate change. This systematic literature review seeks to understand how IK contributes to climate change adaptation and resilience. A total of 71 papers from Scopus were analysed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method. It investigated three research questions: (i) How is IK understood in climate change studies? (ii) What kind of IK is used to address climate change and enhance adaptation and resilience? and finally, (iii) What could be done to maximise the use of IK towards enhancing climate adaptation and resilience? The study found that Indigenous people use IK to predict extreme climatic conditions, prepare for it, and live through it making use of Indigenous adaptation strategies in multiple manifestations. The solutions to maximise the benefits of IK promote two dominant themes requiring more research on IK and climate change with diverse focus areas and the need to bridge it with scientific knowledge. This review provides a starting point for such research that will draw upon IK to enhance climate adaptation and resilience towards meaningful sustainable development.