Advocating for Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Veld-Fire Reduction in Mitigating Climate Change in Masvingo Province of Zimbabwe

Abstract

In Zimbabwe, vast tracks of vegetation are destroyed by veld fire annually, thereby facilitating the occurrence of climate change. According to the environmental management agency in Zimbabwe, veld fire gutted 165 352 94 hectares of land since the onset of the 2020 fire season, which mainly stretches from 31 July to 31 October every year. To reduce uncontrolled veld fires, this chapter makes a case for Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) as a viable means of addressing the issue. Findings reveal that households employ various strategies such as evoking taboos that prevent destruction of sacred forests, among others, to reduce veld-fire in their community, which in turn enables them to maintain sources of their livelihood annually. Implications of these findings are discussed broadly in terms of the ways in which IKS can contribute towards governing of veld fire in Zimbabwe.