Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Sustainable Practices among the Lozi-speaking people of Zambia

Abstract

There is a growing international recognition that Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) can be a useful source of information to complement modern scientific knowledge (MSK) in the management of natural resources. The aim of this study was to investigate the scope of TEK and their sustainable practices among the Lozi-speaking people of Zambia. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with local people in the Barotse floodplains around Mongu town and were analysed through a thematic approach. The study found that TEK among the Lozi-speaking people is very common and widely used. It includes taboos, myths and restrictions associated with the sustainable use of natural resources. From the findings of this study, we recommend that to complement modern scientific knowledge (MSK) in the realisation of sustainable natural resource management, greater attention needs to be paid to the vast amounts of TEK possessed by the Lozi-speaking communities.There is a growing international recognition that Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) can be a useful source of information to complement modern scientific knowledge (MSK) in the management of natural resources. The aim of this study was to investigate the scope of TEK and their sustainable practices among the Lozi-speaking people of Zambia. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with local people in the Barotse floodplains around Mongu town and were analysed through a thematic approach. The study found that TEK among the Lozi-speaking people is very common and widely used. It includes taboos, myths and restrictions associated with the sustainable use of natural resources. From the findings of this study, we recommend that to complement modern scientific knowledge (MSK) in the realisation of sustainable natural resource management, greater attention needs to be paid to the vast amounts of TEK possessed by the Lozi-speaking communities.