Browsing by Author "Makongoro, Hawa Ramadhani"

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    Assessing effectiveness of combining indigenous and scientific knowledge in communicating weather information: a case study of Tanzania meteorological agency initiatives in Ulanga district, Tanzania
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2017) Makongoro, Hawa Ramadhani
    Using grounded theory, the study explored the process in which TMA used to combine indigenous and scientific knowledge, as well as its implications in communicating weather information in Mahenge communities of Ulanga District in Morogoro Region. Specifically the study identify and explain strengths and challenges of indigenous weather knowledge, certainty and uncertainty of scientific weather knowledge and the process used to combine indigenous and scientific weather knowledge and its implications on the rural community. The selection of villages based on the evidence that the pilot project on the combination of scientific and indigenous knowledge in communicating weather information were implemented into those two villages. Using techniques of the qualitative research paradigm and sampling procedures a total of 20 key informants at the district and village level and Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) Dar es Salaam head office were interviewed and 100 respondents were surveyed using semi-structured questionnaire. The evidence shows that indigenous and scientific weather knowledge are valid as well as complement one another. When these two pieces of weather knowledge are combined, a set of hybridised weather knowledge emerges. Hybridized weather knowledge seemed a better tool to communicate climate change information in rural communities. For better utilization of hybridized weather information, it is incumbent that the government introduces a policy to protect and formalize indigenous weather information as well as the sharing mechanisms for distributing the hybridized weather knowledge. This mechanism should clearly identify the roles of individual experts and identify platforms and specific times at which individual experts’ should transfer the hybridized knowledge to other community members. There is a need to generate more empirical data on combining both scientific and indigenous weather knowledge. Thus, further research is required to explain why indigenous weather knowledge combines both explicit and tacit knowledge, and how hybridized knowledge can be socialized, enhanced and institutionalized at rural community level.