ANCESTRAL VOICES IN MODERN CRISES: TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION IN ZIMBABWE

Abstract

Climate change presents unprecedented environmental, social and economic challenges, especially for rural communities in Zimbabwe. In Matopo and Lupane districts, traditional leaders have historically played a vital role in community governance and environmental management. However, the increasing impacts of climate change, such as recurring droughts and shifts in planting seasons, have revealed the limits of traditional coping methods. This study explores the role of traditional leadership in climate change adaptation, focusing on how ancestral knowledge, community influence, and cultural authority are mobilised in response to
these environmental crises. Guided by Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) theory, this research uses a qualitative case study approach, collecting data from in-depth interviews, focus groups, and key informant testimonies with traditional leaders, community members, and local government officials. The results show that traditional leaders act as essential intermediaries between communities and external entities, facilitating the dissemination of climate-related knowledge, managing communal
resources, and enforcing traditional conservation practices. Nonetheless, their efforts are restricted by limited institutional support, restricted access to scientific data, and marginalisation within formal climate policies. This study concludes that traditional
leadership remains a crucial yet underused asset in Zimbabwe’s climate adaptation strategies. Their deep roots in local culture and governance make them well-placed to promote context-specific, sustainable adaptation measures. Governments and NGOs
should bolster collaborations with traditional leaders by integrating indigenous knowledge into national climate plans, offering capacity-building initiatives, and formalising their roles in local climate governance. Recognising and valuing ancestral
knowledge systems can strengthen community resilience by grounding climate change adaptation strategies in locally embedded experiences, cultural practices, andhistorical environmental understanding. Such an approach enables communities to
draw on intergenerational wisdom in managing ecological change while ensuring that adaptation initiatives are context-specific, culturally legitimate, and socially inclusive.