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Indigenous Knowledge in Watershed Management : The Case of the Mara River Basin, Tanzania

Ngonyani, Happyness ; Gambo, Bello ; Mourad, Khaldoon A. LU ; Rilwanu, Tasi’u Yalwa and Berndtsson, Ronny LU orcid (2025) In Water (Switzerland) 17(1).
Abstract

Achieving sustainable water resource utilization requires a holistic management approach that recognizes the knowledge and values of different stakeholders through a comprehensive participation approach. This study evaluates the indigenous knowledge and technologies employed in watershed management by analyzing qualitative and quantitative data from six villages in the Mara River Basin area. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, and household surveys. The findings show that although participants work in tandem with scientific knowledge, indigenous knowledge and technologies continue to be important in watershed management, and that indigenous groups are cognizant of the effects of climate change, with 76.6% of... (More)

Achieving sustainable water resource utilization requires a holistic management approach that recognizes the knowledge and values of different stakeholders through a comprehensive participation approach. This study evaluates the indigenous knowledge and technologies employed in watershed management by analyzing qualitative and quantitative data from six villages in the Mara River Basin area. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, and household surveys. The findings show that although participants work in tandem with scientific knowledge, indigenous knowledge and technologies continue to be important in watershed management, and that indigenous groups are cognizant of the effects of climate change, with 76.6% of respondents noting a decrease in rainfall and 78.0% observing changes in the rainy season. The integration of scientific knowledge with indigenous knowledge yields significant benefits for watershed management, and it is evident that indigenous communities possess a wealth of knowledge. The results show that involving indigenous communities in watershed management will benefit both water managers and indigenous populations. This engagement can build trust and a sense of ownership, which will lead to sustainable natural resource management.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
indigenous communities, stakeholder engagement, sustainable natural resource management
in
Water (Switzerland)
volume
17
issue
1
article number
63
pages
19 pages
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • scopus:85214528929
ISSN
2073-4441
DOI
10.3390/w17010063
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2024 by the authors.
id
58a330dd-d2ca-4645-9b24-9a65dbddbab0
date added to LUP
2025-02-10 11:28:28
date last changed
2025-05-19 19:49:47
@article{58a330dd-d2ca-4645-9b24-9a65dbddbab0,
  abstract     = {{<p>Achieving sustainable water resource utilization requires a holistic management approach that recognizes the knowledge and values of different stakeholders through a comprehensive participation approach. This study evaluates the indigenous knowledge and technologies employed in watershed management by analyzing qualitative and quantitative data from six villages in the Mara River Basin area. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, and household surveys. The findings show that although participants work in tandem with scientific knowledge, indigenous knowledge and technologies continue to be important in watershed management, and that indigenous groups are cognizant of the effects of climate change, with 76.6% of respondents noting a decrease in rainfall and 78.0% observing changes in the rainy season. The integration of scientific knowledge with indigenous knowledge yields significant benefits for watershed management, and it is evident that indigenous communities possess a wealth of knowledge. The results show that involving indigenous communities in watershed management will benefit both water managers and indigenous populations. This engagement can build trust and a sense of ownership, which will lead to sustainable natural resource management.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ngonyani, Happyness and Gambo, Bello and Mourad, Khaldoon A. and Rilwanu, Tasi’u Yalwa and Berndtsson, Ronny}},
  issn         = {{2073-4441}},
  keywords     = {{indigenous communities; stakeholder engagement; sustainable natural resource management}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Water (Switzerland)}},
  title        = {{Indigenous Knowledge in Watershed Management : The Case of the Mara River Basin, Tanzania}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w17010063}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/w17010063}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}