The Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Weather and Climate Forecasting in Kakooge village, Wakiso District

Abstract

Ugandans rely on agriculture as their primary source of income. The majority of Ugandans, however, are vulnerable to climate change and fluctuation due to their reliance on rain-fed agriculture. Farmers' resilience to climate change and variability is increased when they have access to climate and weather information, according to studies. Because the majority of Ugandan farmers rely on indigenous knowledge to get climate and weather information, this study identified and collected the indigenous knowledge utilized in creating weather forecasts in Kakooge village. The study also looked into the factors that influence people's reliance on indigenous knowledge for weather forecasting, as well as their perceptions of the accuracy of Indigenous knowledge forecasts. The sample size of households was determined by random sampling, and there were 60 households in all. The data was collected from the respondents using questionnaires, and the replies were coded, processed, and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS version 25). The findings revealed that the majority of people in Kakooge village rely on indigenous knowledge for weather and climate forecasting, and that it is a trustworthy source of weather and climate data. Clouds and predicted weather in specific months of the year were the most commonly used indigenous knowledge indications for weather forecasting, with 94 percent of respondents using both indicators. The most critical element in determining the reliance on indigenous knowledge for weather and climate forecasting was found to be the respondents' age. According to this study, there is a need for UNMA to strengthen its efforts in educating Ugandans about the relevance of scientific weather forecasts in order to change their perceptions about SFs. More effort is also required to ensure that the scientific forecasts provided reach the targeted endusers