Asia - Nepal Issue
Local communities in rural areas of Nepal often resort to their ITLK systems as a coping mechanism for various climate impacts. However, these knowledge systems are on the decline and confined mainly to the elderly population due to the limited transfer of knowledge to the younger generation. Modernization and rural-to-urban migration are the prime cause of declining knowledge, while the intensified impacts of climate change are also weakening the efficacy of ITLK systems. Without new efforts to impart knowledge to youth, including measures to enhance the utility of ITLK and put them to practical use, there is imminent danger that the knowledge system will be lost for good and become unavailable for designing more robust and locally suited adaptation solutions.
Solution
For the transfer of ITLK to younger generations, multiple knowledge-transfer events were organised between the knowledge holders, mainly the elderly, women and Indigenous People, and high-school students who will soon be attending universities and other institutions of higher learning. During these events, the knowledge holders assumed the role of teachers and interacted with the students on various ITLK systems, touching upon the historical background, uses and benefits, and methods of use in interesting and interactive ways. Facilitated by a local community radio station, Radio Sindhu 105 Mhz in Sindhupalchok, an event was also broadcast to an audience of over one million. The event has attracted more requests from local governments and schools to host similar programs.
Short Summary:
Indigenous, traditional, and local knowledge (ITLK) systems form the foundation for successful climate action. However, these knowledge systems are on the decline in Nepal due to limited transfer from the elderly to youth. An innovative approach of intergenerational knowledge transfer is presented here.
Description (Details):
Sindhupalchok is one of the most climate vulnerable and disaster prone districts in Nepal (MoFE, 2021) located about 100 km east of Kathmandu. ITLK has been used extensively for farming, water management, disaster prevention, forest management, and other sectors. More recently, ITLK has faced an increasing decline mainly due to two factors. First, youth are migrating to cities and abroad in search of employment and other opportunities. Second, the areas are increasingly adopting modern lifestyles, including farming practices, fueled by improved access to roads, communication technologies and modern facilities as well as income from remittances. Climate change impacts, such as erratic rainfall and extreme heat, are also making it risky to continue using traditional farming methods.
IGES partnered with the Asia-Pacific branch of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC Asia Pacific) and invited Radio Sindhu, one of the community radio stations in South Asia, to the event on capacity building on creative methods of communicating ITLK for climate change adaptation. Radio Sindhu benefitted through direct exposure to local events and created programs on select TILK cases, encouraged by feedback from the field regarding the need to transfer TILK to younger generations, who are less interested in the knowledge system.
An intergenerational knowledge transfer event was designed for high school students. Identified knowledge holders, mostly elderly men and women as well as Indigenous People, took on the role of teacher and introduced different aspects of ILKT, including historical context, use conditions and timing, and methods, in an interactive manner. The communication skills of Radio Sindhu staff played an important role in facilitating the event in an engaging manner. The elderly, who generally had little to no opportunities to share their experiences, were delighted to talk about their lives, while the students, who were otherwise reluctant to learn about ITLK from elderly relatives at home, found the event to be a new learning experience with their friends. They were rather surprised at how deep and scientific ITLK was and the beneficial role it played in day-to-day life in the past.
The outcomes of the event were also broadcast by Radio Sindhu, attracting interest from various villages where local governments and high schools approached the radio station to organise similar events. The radio is still engaged in organising events with the support of local governments and schools.
References:
MoFE. (2021). Vulnerability and Risk Assessment and Identifying Adaptation Options: Summary for Policy Makers. Ministry of Forests and Environment, Government of Nepal. Kathmandu, Nepal.
DISCOVER MORE
