Exploring community environmental knowledge through participatory methods in the Kat River valley, South Africa

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
There has been increasing acknowledgement in recent years of the importance of local environmental knowledge possessed by indigenous communities in Africa. However, too often this knowledge has been suppressed by biased and inappropriate western environmental perceptions and research strategies. This paper examines how participatory research techniques were used successfully among two poor rural communities in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The exercise proved to be a process of joint-learning leading to a greater sense of empowerment and self-fulfilment and a collective recognition that the community possessed relevant local knowledge and skills in the sustainable use of the environment.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: