Christopher Mahove
Harare—Traditional knowledge systems that once sustained ecosystems and regulated human interaction with nature are being eroded by modern development models, weakening efforts to combat climate change, Cultural Heritage Ambassador Chengeto Mayowe has warned.
Despite their proven role in preserving biodiversity and environmental balance, these indigenous systems continue to be marginalised by formal climate policies, urbanisation, land loss and the steady erosion of cultural practices. The result, Mayowe argues, is not just cultural loss but growing ecological vulnerability.
Traditional Knowledge Systems (TKS) are deeply rooted understandings of ecosystems developed over centuries of close interaction between communities and their natural environments.
Far from being outdated, these systems are increasingly recognised as critical tools for environmental protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Indigenous knowledge helps ecosystems
One of the greatest strengths of traditional knowledge lies in ecosystem conservation. Across Zimbabwe, communities have long protected sacred forests, wetlands and water sources through customary laws, taboos and spiritual beliefs.
These areas, often shielded from modern exploitation, function as biodiversity reservoirs and natural carbon sinks. Sacred groves preserve indigenous tree species that store carbon, regulate rainfall and prevent soil erosion, while rivers protected by cultural norms remain cleaner and healthier, sustaining both wildlife and human livelihoods.
Yet Zimbabwe has failed to fully harness TKS in its response to environmental degradation and climate change.
According to Mayowe, the country could have been far ahead had it not dismissed its own knowledge systems, despite possessing eco-friendly practices such as compost-based fertilisers long before modern climate discourse.
“One thing our ancestors excelled at was understanding balance, nature and the responsibility of stewardship,” she said. “Their knowledge was not random; it was a practical governance system.”
She cited areas such as Mutoko, where climate and resource management is traditionally organised around TKS-based governance structures.
These systems place communities, guided by traditional leaders and spirit mediums (masvikiro), at the centre of decision-making for sustainable development.
Mayowe said ancestral worldviews recognised that not all natural resources were meant to be manipulated or desecrated, as ecosystems were believed to be inhabited by ancestral spirits whose well-being influenced local climate patterns.
“When that sacred connection is lost, imbalance follows,” she said. “If we relied more on grounded traditional systems and less on detached Western models, our path to sustainable ecosystem management would be far smoother.”
She stressed the need to set aside personal and commercial interests in favour of protecting ecosystems for future generations.
“There are traditional knowledge systems that can be applied even to mining,” Mayowe said. “Many companies speak about environmental, social and governance principles, but rarely demonstrate them. Our sacred mountains are blasted and left bare. That is not TKS in practice.”
The neglect of indigenous knowledge, she added, has tangible consequences.
A study in Chipinge district found that 95 percent of traditional healers reported the local extinction of some medicinal plants due to overharvesting and habitat loss.
“When trees are cut without regard for regeneration, we ignore the indigenous practices that sustained these ecosystems for generations,” Mayowe said. “TKS must be taken seriously if development is to build rather than destroy.”
Integrating traditional and scientific knowledge
For climate change mitigation to be effective, Mayowe said government ministries must make dedicated financial and policy commitments to TKS.
“Knowledge is power, but implementation is everything,” she said. “These systems work. With funding and adaptation to modern contexts, they could yield significant results within a decade.”
She said integration must occur at multiple levels, noting that while Zimbabwe’s National Climate Policy mentions indigenous knowledge, it lacks practical mechanisms for implementation.
“In practice, private players such as Geo Pomona are currently better positioned to invest in ecosystem-based approaches,” she said.
Mayowe called for collaboration between the Agriculture, Environment, ICT and Tourism ministries to widen impact, while urging the Ministry of Education to embed TKS at the core of climate education.
“Even one TKS-centred innovation hub per province could spark meaningful change,” she said. “We should not dismantle systems that worked; we should refine them and pass that knowledge forward.”
Traditional leaders as custodians
Mayowe emphasised the central role of traditional leaders as custodians of place-specific knowledge.
“They are educators, guardians and mobilisers of community action,” she said, citing Manicaland and the Matobo Hills as regions where traditional leadership remains vital to environmental stewardship, cultural preservation and responsible tourism.
In TKS-based climate governance, she said, traditional leaders and spirit mediums wield both spiritual and practical authority, guiding community adaptation and resilience.
She argued that governance structures linking healers, farmers, chiefs, provincial leaders and legislators must work cohesively.
“Our ancestors built functioning societies long before colonisation,” Mayowe said. “Some of those systems still exist. Why not remodel them for today’s challenges?”
As elders pass on without their knowledge being documented or respected, humanity risks losing locally grounded, cost-effective and sustainable solutions.
Traditional land-use practices, including mixed cropping, crop rotation and drought-resistant indigenous seeds, remain critical for climate resilience. These methods improve soil fertility, retain moisture and reduce the risk of total crop failure during extreme weather events.
Pastoral communities, through seasonal grazing systems, have long prevented land degradation by allowing grasslands to regenerate, maintaining healthy soils that absorb carbon and reduce desertification.
Traditional knowledge also underpins early warning systems, with elders reading environmental indicators such as wind patterns, animal behaviour and plant cycles to anticipate droughts or floods.
Beyond ecology, TKS fosters an ethic of restraint and respect for nature, viewing it not as an endless resource but as a living system.
The way forward, Mayowe said, lies not in choosing between science and tradition, but in integrating both to create inclusive, resilient and effective climate responses.