Nomads’ indigenous knowledge and their adaptation to climate changes in Semirom City in Central Iran

Abstract

Herding-based livelihood is a traditional production system in arid and semi-arid areas characterized by a dynamic and flexible self-adapting structure to adjust to unpredictable climate changes and unfavorable natural conditions. In this case, indigenous knowledge and information systems play a pivotal role in linking such structures to changing conditions. Taking such role into account, an attempt was made to investigate the nomadic knowledge of local people residing in summer rangelands of Semirom Township in Isfahan Province, Iran, gained in response to climate change. A cluster sampling procedure was used to extract the case study population from a number of nearly 7700 Qashqai nomads divided into four, Dare shoori, Amale, Shesh blocki, and Farsimdan, clans in which grazing systems were recognized as clusters or sampling units. In-depth group interviewing and exploratory methods were then used to assess the role of nomadic indigenous knowledge and insights into utilization of summer rangelands gained on adaptation to climate change and data collected from interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The results showed that people of Qashqai tribes have a thorough knowledge of climate change and have adopted long-term adaptive solutions such as building cement-block houses and water storage ponds as well as changing the migration routes and locations to cope with the adverse consequences of climate change.