This research seeks to ascertain the indigenous knowledge systems that are employed
to address the impact of climate change, to examine the effectiveness of these coping
strategies, and to suggest possible ways of ensuring sustainability of the strategies
employed. There are global climate change policies and mechanisms which serve to
guide on ways in which climate change should be considered, they include the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, the IPCC 2007
Fourth Assessment Report on Climate Change Impacts, Adaptations and Vulnerability
and the Stern Review on the economies of climate change -2006. Indigenous knowledge
systems (IKS) are highlighted with the history of these IKS being outlined thereafter the
different uses of IKS in various countries are addressed. This desk top research
therefore reveals reasons why women should be entrusted with the IKS. The major
issue being that women are the ones who labour in the fields and constitute 80% of the
agricultural work force and contribute 50%-80% of the work in the fields. They are the
ones who are suitably equipped with the various strategies of coping with climate
change and predicting the weather so as to ensure food security for their families.
Women, however, face challenges in the use of the IKS, chief amongst these challenges
is the patriarchal tradition which does not allow them to contribute in decision making.
Keywords: Climate; indigenous knowledge systems; wome

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