Pashtun Indigenous Knowledge and Resilience: Mitigating Climate Change in Northern Pakistan
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Indigenous knowledge and resilience are embedded in the prevailing culture of traditional societies. This study aims to investigate the Pashtun culturally embedded indigenous knowledge and resilience to climate change. The Pashtun indigenous knowledge is culturally entrenched and guides them socio-culturally to mitigate the worst impact of climate change. It is revealed Pashtun indigenous knowledge and resilience are rooted in their culture and social structure. Their folk literature, metaphors, poetry, traditions, cultural capitals, social organizations, and colonial history are key elements to understanding the different aspects of Pashtun’s traditional wisdom and resilience to climate change. Pashtun social structure (such as kinship bonds, brotherhood, and reciprocity) and cultural institutions (such as Jirga) also strengthen their resilience to bounce back from the worst impact of climate change. Indigenous knowledge, sociocultural institutions, and resilience collectively help them to face the worst impact of climate change. Pashtun have bad memories of colonial exploitation and Pakistan’s exploitative policies; hence, they do not trust state initiatives, and they rely on their traditions to counter the worst impact of climate change.
Source: Fourth World Journal
DOI: 10.63428/3jkpen18
Author: Zafar Khan
Institution: University of Peshawar
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4409799986