Capturing and Digitization of Indigenous Knowledge in Support of Community Resilience to Climate Change.

Traditional or Indigenous knowledge is a term that strikes chords when referring to the skills and philosophies developed by societies over the history of interactions with their surroundings. It plays a vital role in understanding ordinary people’s decisions in fundamental aspects related to their daily activities. Indigenous knowledge (sometimes referred to as local or traditional knowledge) encompasses language, use of resources, spirituality, social interactions, and systems of classification that are unique to a given culture or community. Over the past few decades, the international community has witnessed an increasing interest in capturing and analyzing indigenous knowledge and practices as a foundation for local sustainable development. Coupled with the increasing popularity of participatory approaches to decision-making and grassroots movements, the cross-cultural understanding of indigenous knowledge systems has now become a cornerstone for charting climate change adaptation strategies, reducing hazard risks, and promoting biodiversity and conservation practices to support community resilience. This study focuses on the results of a case study from rural India, where seasonal calendars (a tool used to capture traditional knowledge with respect to seasonal changes as they relate to agricultural activities, income, etc.) were digitized and delivered through a mobile application.