Addressing Climate Change Impacts from African Perspective: African Indigenous Science as a Workable Prospect for Mitigation

Philip Onyekachukwu Egbule, University of Delta Agbor Delta State Nigeria Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education
Chukwuemeke Buzome, Department of Educational Management and Foundations(Early childhood Education) Delta State University, Abraka

In regions plagued by fragility, conflict and deficient governance, communities are ill-prepared to confront the challenges posed by climate change and its associated environmental hazards. Despite extensive discourse on these matters, a proactive approach to averting potential devastation is imperative. This paper serves as a compelling call to action for Africans to harness their indigenous science systems in addressing the climate crisis. However, a significant obstacle to this endeavor lies in the misconception that African traditional practices are primitive or superstitious. The paper argues that, akin to other fields of knowledge, climate science must undergo broadening and decolonization, advocating for Africa to tap into its knowledge systems for relevant solutions to its development challenges. Moreover, it explores the potential for collaboration between Western science, environmental education, and African indigenous knowledge to bolster resilience. Additionally, it examines avenues for African researchers and their global counterparts to leverage the rich resources of the African indigenous science system.