Social Networks of Indigenous Climate Knowledge: Ecological Memory and Resilience in Saora Tribal Communities
Keywords:
Ecological memory index, Climate resilience, Indigenous knowledge systems, Social network analysis, Knowledge transmissionAbstract
Rainfed tribal farming systems are increasingly affected by climatic variability, with indigenous knowledge being a key element to adaptation. This study explored the structure, transmission and ecological memory’s contribution to climate resilience of Saora tribal farmers of village Linga in Gajapati district, Odisha, during 2024 to 2026. Household surveys, participatory rural appraisal, seasonal calendars, oral history and key-informant interviews were conducted to collect data with 120 farming households. An Ecological Memory Index (EMI) and Climate Resilience Index (CRI) were created and computed with the application of correlation, regression and t-test statistical analysis, and Social Network Analysis (SNA) was applied to map the pathways of knowledge transmission. Results showed that ecological memory was significantly associated with climate resilience, with ecological memory being the strongest contributing component of climate resilience, with the highest standardised weight ( = 0.61) among all CRI pillars. Central bridging roles in the knowledge network were occupied by elders, healers and seed keepers who played a significant role in intergenerational knowledge transfer. The study has concluded that the local knowledge network (LKN) can help to improve the climate resilience of a tribal agroecosystem.
Downloads
References
Aryal, J. P., Sapkota, T. B., Khurana, R., Khatri-Chhetri, A., Rahut, D. B., & Jat, M. L. (2020). Climate change and agriculture in South Asia: Adaptation options in smallholder production systems. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 22 (6), 5045–5075. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-019-00414-4
Bahubalendra, S., Mishra, B., Jayasingh, D. K., & Anand, A. (2025). Barriers hindering tribal farm women’s access to agri-allied information. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 61 (3), 118– 122. https://doi.org/10.48165/IJEE.2025.613RN02
Berkes, F. (2017). Sacred Ecology : Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Resource Management (4th ed.). Routledge, London. https:/ /doi.org/10.4324/9781315114644
Bhattacharjee, P., & Behera, M. C. (2021). Indigenous knowledge systems and climate adaptation among tribal communities of eastern India: a review. Journal of Rural Studies, 84 , 147–157.
Bheemappa, A., Shruthi, S. M., Maheshwari, K. D., & Biradar, N. (2022). Indigenous technical knowledge based rainfall prediction: A review. Agricultural Reviews, 43 (2), 205–210. https://doi.org/ 10.18805/ag.R-2347
Calvet-Mir, L., Calvet-Mir, M., Molina, J. L., & Reyes-García, V. (2012). Seed exchange as an agrobiodiversity conservation mechanism: a case study in Vall Fosca, Catalan Pyrenees. Ecology and Society, 17 (1), 29. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04682-
Chen, T. L., & Cheng, H. W. (2020). Applying traditional knowledge to resilience in coastal rural villages. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 47 , 101564. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.ijdrr.2020.101564
Crona, B., & Bodin, Ö. (2017). Networking the environment: social network analysis in environmental management and local ecological knowledge studies. Ecology and Society, 22 (1), 41. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-09105-220141
Damodaran, A. (2015). The east India of climate change: indigenous knowledge and adaptation in tribal landscapes. Economic and Political Weekly, 50 (42), 47–55.
Johnson, D. C., Chander, M., Sagar, M. P., Verma, M. R., & Patil, A. P. (2023). Assessing organic poultry farming knowledge among tribal farmers: A tailored knowledge test. Indian Journal of
Kumar, A., & Saxena, S. P. (2024). Farmers’ awareness and perception about climate change in the indo-gangetic plain region of India. Indian Journal of Extension Education , 60 (4), 101-106.
Kusumastuti, R., Hidayanto, A. N., Juwono, V., Oktafia, E., Sandy, K., & Sya’diyah, H. (2023). Innovation through indigenous knowledge sharing, organisational memory, and indigenous knowledge erosion on indigenous batik enterprise (a structural equation model in action). International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 33 (1), 71-97. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijil.2023.
Lenka, S., & Satpathy, A. (2020). A study on indigenous technical knowledge of tribal farmers in agriculture and livestock sectors of Koraput district. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 56 (2), 66–69. https://acspublisher.com/journals/index.php/ijee/ article/view/4461
Mondal, S., & Palit, D. (2022). Climate change resilient agricultural practices: a learning experience from indigenous communities over India. PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, 1 (7), e0000022. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000022
Petzold, J., Andrews, N., Ford, J. D., Hedemann, C., & Postigo, J. C. (2024). Understanding how indigenous knowledge contributes to climate change adaptation and resilience: a systematic literature review. Environmental Management, 74 (3), 1–21.
Radcliffe, C., Raman, A., & Parissi, C. (2021). Entwining indigenous knowledge and science knowledge for sustainable agricultural extension: exploring the strengths and challenges. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 27 (2), 133-151. https:/ /doi.org/10.1080/1389224x.2020.1828112
Singh, A., Singh, R., Nain, M. S., Mishra, J. R., Kumar, P., Sharma, D. K., & Paul, R. K. (2023). Linkage network structures of farmers: Analysing FPOs of M.P. and Bihar in India, Indian Journal of Extension Education, 59 (3), 14-20.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
