Bridging the Knowledge Gap through Documenting Indigenous Early warning indicators in areas prone to climate-induced natural disasters in Zimbabwe

通过记录津巴布韦易受气候引起的自然灾害地区的本土预警指标来缩小知识差距

• 批准号: AH/X006859/1
• 负责人: Nomalanga Hamadziripi
• 金额: $ 12.59万
• 依托单位: Marondera University of Agri Sci & Tech
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FX006859%2F1
• 关键词: Bridging; Knowledge; Gap; through; Documenting

This proposed study is a follow-on project to a just ended project whose aim was to inventory the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) assets affected by Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani, Chipinge and Buhera districts in Zimbabwe. One of the findings of the ICH project was that there were a number of indigenous early warning indicators which were witnessed in the affected communities just prior to the cyclone, but unfortunately no one took heed, they inadvertently ignored the signals or as the narratives portray, some of them failed to interpret the warning that nature was sending them. The main reason for ignoring the indigenous warnings or signals was lack of understanding of the indigenous early warning indicators. This study therefore proposes to investigate further the indigenous early warning indicators in areas prone to climate-induced natural disasters in Zimbabwe. The areas that will be the study sites for the project, which have been observed to be vulnerable over the years, are Chimanimani, Chipinge and Buhera, which are districts prone to cyclones and Muzarabani, Mbire, and Binga districts, which are prone to droughts. Nature has been reported to send signals or warnings before a disaster strikes as attested in literature on indigenous knowledge and early warning systems in different regions of the world, that is, Howell (2003) on Bangladesh; Oluchiri (2019) on Kenya; UNEP (2007) on Eswatini, Kenya, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, among other examples. There is therefore ample evidence in the literature that there are indigenous early warning indicators which vary across geographical zones. The proposed study seeks to document early warning indicators in the identified areas in Zimbabwe with the aim of providing valuable insights into early warning indicators as well as building capacity by bridging the knowledge gap in the local areas in early warning so that the local communities are able to interpret them and take appropriate action. These localised early warning indicators will be mainstreamed into policy and curricula at primary, secondary and tertiary level.The proposed research will be implemented through four (4) work packages, which are linked to the four (4) objectives outlined in the objectives section. The work packages include; (i) inventorying indigenous early warning indicators in six districts (Buhera, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Mbire, Binga, and Muzarabani) prone to climate-induced natural disasters in Zimbabwe, (ii) development of a learning module, including producing a documentary video, using the identified indigenous early warning indicators for climate-induced natural disasters and facilitate the incorporation of the module into primary, secondary and tertiary curricula in Zimbabwe, (iii) development of a mobile or electronic application to help disseminate and sensitisation of communities on the identified indigenous early warning indicators for climate-induced natural disasters in Zimbabwe, and (iv) facilitation of the incorporation of indigenous early warning indicators for climate-induced natural disasters into the risk reduction framework (SENDAI Framework) used in Zimbabwe.The study will use qualitative enquiry and data collection through gender-separated focus groupdiscussions, key informant interviews with identified knowledgeable members of the community, stakeholder workshops and consultative meetings. All discussions and interviews will be conducted in the local language, recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated to English. Data analysis will employ a thematic analysis. A documentary will be produced.

这项拟议的研究是刚刚结束的项目的后续项目，该项目的目的是盘点津巴布韦奇马尼马尼、奇平盖和布赫拉地区受飓风伊代影响的非物质文化遗产 (ICH) 资产。 ICH 项目的调查结果之一是，在飓风发生之前，受影响的社区出现了许多本土预警指标，但不幸的是没有人注意到，他们无意中忽略了这些信号，或者正如叙述中所描述的那样，他们中的一些人未能理解大自然向他们发出的警告。忽视本土预警或信号的主要原因是缺乏对本土预警指标的了解。因此，本研究建议进一步调查津巴布韦易受气候引发自然灾害影响的地区的本土预警指标。该项目的研究地点是 Chimanimani、Chipinge 和 Buhera（易受飓风影响的地区）以及 Muzarabani、Mbire 和 Binga 地区（易发生干旱的地区），这些地区多年来一直被认为是脆弱的地区。 。据报道，大自然会在灾难发生前发出信号或警告，这在世界不同地区的本土知识和早期预警系统的文献中得到了证实，即孟加拉国的 Howell (2003)； Oluchiri (2019) 关于肯尼亚；环境署（2007 年）关于斯威士兰、肯尼亚、印度尼西亚、泰国、日本等的例子。因此，文献中有充足的证据表明，不同地理区域存在不同的本土预警指标。拟议的研究旨在记录津巴布韦已确定地区的预警指标，旨在提供有关预警指标的宝贵见解，并通过弥合当地地区预警方面的知识差距来建设能力，以便当地社区能够解释它们并采取适当的行动。这些本地化预警指标将被纳入小学、中学和大学政策和课程的主流。拟议的研究将通过四 (4) 个工作包实施，这些工作包与目标部分概述的四 (4) 个目标相关。工作包包括： (i) 清查津巴布韦易受气候引起的自然灾害的六个地区（Buhera、Chimanimani、Chipinge、Mbire、Binga 和 Muzarabani）的本地预警指标，(ii) 开发学习模块，包括制作纪录片视频，使用已确定的气候引起的自然灾害本地预警指标，并促进将该模块纳入津巴布韦的小学、中学和大学课程，(iii) 制定移动或电子应用程序，帮助社区传播和提高对津巴布韦已确定的气候引起的自然灾害本土预警指标的认识，以及(iv) 促进将气候引发的自然灾害本土预警指标纳入减少风险津巴布韦使用的框架（SENDAI框架）。该研究将通过按性别划分的焦点小组讨论、对社区中知识渊博的成员、利益相关者进行关键知情人访谈来使用定性调查和数据收集讲习班和协商会议。所有讨论和采访都将以当地语言进行，逐字记录、转录并翻译成英语。数据分析将采用主题分析。将制作一部纪录片。