Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Adaptation

University Course Description 

This course aims to understand how the Quechua communities in the Andes engage with issues caused by climate change. They are extremely vulnerable to the effects of global warming, but they also possess a wealth of knowledge, practices, techniques, and technologies to ensure food security in face of climate variability.  

 

Course Prerequisites 

There are no prerequisites for this course. 

 

Course Purpose  

Students will actively participate and demonstrate how the indigenous people in the Peruvian Andes respond to the challenges posed by climactic variability. Specific examples of how indigenous knowledge will be provided to help illustrate the role of the Peruvian people and outside actors in protecting, restoring and disseminating indigenous knowledge.  

 

Course Methodology 

The methodology to be used includes a combination of tools to facilitate the enhancements of knowledge, promote debate in class and increase students’ ability to formulate proposals, such as: presentation-debate classes and case studies. 

The structure of each unit includes daily compulsory reading, followed by oral presentations by the students which will lead to class debates, group works, and other practical activities. Field trips are essential to the course, which are programmed in a every other week basis. All these activities will be complemented by lectures. 

 

Student Learning Outcomes 

By the end of the course the student will be able to: 

Handle concepts related to climate change, causes and consequences and components.  

Identify the potential of Indigenous knowledge in facing climate change. 

Understand the value of indigenous knowledge towards sustainable development and climate change adaptation. 

   

Required Texts and/or Readings and Course Materials 

Not required 

 

Supplementary (Optional) Texts and Materials 

IPCC, 2021: Climate Change. 2021. The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S. L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M. I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J. B. R. Matthews, T. K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press. In Press. 

MINAM. 2009. Cambio Climático y Desarrollo sostenible en el Perú. PNUD. Global Enviromental Facility. 

MINAM. 2015. Estrategia Nacional ante el Cambio Climatico. Grupo GIZ. 

Stern, D. and Kaufmann, R. 2014. Anthropogenic and natural causes of climate change. Climatic Change. 122. 10.1007/s10584-013-1007-x. 

Åke Bjørke, S. (GRID-ARENDAL) and Seki, M. (UNEP). 2020. Vital Climate Graphics Report. UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME. https://www.inforse.org/europe/dieret/Climate/climate%20graphics/index.htm 

Bernstein, l., Bosch, P., Canziani, O., Chen, Z., Christ, R., Davidson, O., Hare, B., Huq, S., Karoly, D., Kattsov, V., Kundzewicz, Z., Liu, J., Lohmann, U., Manning, M., Matsuno, T., Menne, B., Metz, B., Mirza, M., Nicholls, N. and Reising, A. 2008. Climate Change 2007 - Synthesis Report. Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 4. 

Dunn, R. J. H., D. M. Stanitski, N. Gobron, and K. M. Willett, Eds., 2020: Global Climate [in “State of the Climate in 2019"]. Bull. Amer. Meteor., 101 (8), S9–S127, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMSD-20-0104.1 

Grading Scale 

 

Grading Scale (%) 

94-100 

A 

90 – 93 

A- 

87 – 89 

B+ 

84 – 86 

B 

80 – 83 

B- 

77 – 79 

C+ 

74 – 76 

C 

70 – 73  

C- 

67 – 69 

D+ 

64 – 66 

D 

60 – 63 

D- 

0 – 59 

F 

 

Grade Categories and Weights 

 

Evaluation will be ongoing and will take in consideration the issues established in the competencies and in their use by each student. The dates for the Midterm and Final Exam will be indicated by ISA. Readings, tasks, class work and written reports are evaluated. 

 

Assessment 

Percent of Final Grade 

Ongoing evaluation (quizzes, written work, readings, research, projects and presentations) 

50% 

Participation in Class (homework, reports, oral participation, discussion, and attitude in class) 

10% 

Midterm 

20% 

Final Exam 

20% 

 

Essay and Project Assignments 

 

The Final Paper should be about something related to Climate Change and/or Indigenous Knowledge. 

 

FINAL PAPER PROPOSAL AND PRELIMINARY PRESENTATIONS 

 

Paper Proposals are due two weeks into the program followed by a Final Paper Preliminary Presentations held right before the Midterm. 

 

FINAL PRESENTATIONS: 

 

There should be a 30 min presentation per group + 15 min for questions. 

The evaluation takes into consideration: 

Relevance to climate change 

Use of Indigenous Knowledge 

Presentation Skills 

Slides and other material (video clips max. 5 min long) 

Questions/answers from classmates. It is highly suggested to have a PowerPoint presentation plus some activity/questions etc. to make it as interactive as possible. 

Students should keep in mind that they are presenting what they are writing about in their Final Paper. 

Attendance at all presentations is mandatory.  

 

FINAL PAPER: 

 

Due the final day of the program. 

 

Format as follows: 

10 pages minimum 

Does NOT include Cover page, Abstract or Sources 

Abstract and five keywords 

Double space 

Font: Arial 11 

Includes pictures, graphs, etc. (no more than 02 (two) pages altogether) 

5 sources in total (not including the ones provided by the Professor) 

Chicago referencing 

 

Grade Dissemination 

Graded tests and materials in this course will be returned individually and reviewed on the lecture following the exam. You can access your scores at any time using "Grades" in Schoology. 

 

Course Schedule 

Week 1 

UNIT 1. INTRODUCTION 

1.1. Introduction to the Course 

Introduction to the course. Review Syllabus. Unit-by-Unit Description. Semester Planning and Deadlines. 

 

1.2. Peruvian Diversity 

Geographical Description. Main resources and economic activities. The importance of Agriculture and Indigenous Communities. 

Week 2 

UNIT 2. CLIMATE CHANGE 

2.1. Climate Change Concepts 

Definitions. Background and Rationale. Importance of studying climate. 

Week 3 

2.2. Climate Change Uncertainty 

Climate Change Causes and Projections. Temperature. Precipitation. Evaporation. Sea Surface Temperature. Extreme Weather. 

Video Discussion: Skoll, J., Berge, R., Weyermann, D., Cohen, B., Shenk, J. and Al Gore. 2017. An Inconvenient Sequel: truth to power. 

Reading Discussion: Smulsky, Joseph. 2020. New Astronomical Theory of Ice Ages. 

Week 4 

2.3. Climate Change Impacts 

2.3.1. Ecosystems and Biodiversity 

Impacts on natural ecosystems. Invasive Species. Biodiversity. Complex Interactions and multiple stressors. Indirect effects. 

Reading Discussion: Malhi, Y., Franklin, J., Seddon, N., Solan, M., Turner, M.G., Field, C.B. and Knowlton, N. 2020. Climate change and ecosystems: threats, opportunities and solutions. Phil.  Trans.  R.  Soc.B375: 20190104.http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0104 

Week 5 

2.3.2. Human Health 

Psycho-social health. Physical injury from extreme weather events. Emergency risk management. Vector-borne diseases. Respiratory illness. Gastrointestinal illness. Access to health centers. Hospital access. Nutrition. Epidemiological Transition. 

Reading Discussion: Barrett, B., Charles, J.W. and Temte, J.L. 2015. Climate change, human health, and epidemiological transition. Preventive medicine, 70, 69–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.11.013 

Week 6 

2.3.3. Infrastructure 

House infrastructure. Water supply and sewerage. Electricity Supply. Telecommunications. Transport. 

Reading Discussion: Minh Le, T., Leow, W., & Seiderer, F. (2020). Chapter 15 Building Resilience in Infrastructure to Climate Change. In Well Spent. USA: International Monetary Fund. Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/books/071/28328-9781513511818-en/ch015.xml. 

Field Trip: Huatanay River – Pollution and Climate Change. 

Week 7 

Midterm Exam 

Week 8 

UNIT 3. INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND CLIMATE CHANGE 

3.1. Indigenous Knowledge 

Indigenous People. Traditional and Local Knowledge. Indigenous knowledge and science. Correlating observations from Indigenous and Scientific sources. 

Reading Discussion: Jessen, T., Natalie, C., Claxton, N. and Darimont, C.T. 2022. Contributions of Indigenous Knowledge to ecological and evolutionary understanding. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. Front Ecol. Environ. Vol. 20. IS-2. SN-1540-9295. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2435. 

Week 9 

3.2. Traditional Livelihoods and Traditions  

Nomadic or Semi-nomadic pastoralism. Small Scale Agriculture. The hybrid economy and climate change. Natural resources management. 

 

3.3. Vulnerability and Resilience of Indigenous Communities 

Conceptual framework and factors of vulnerability. Impact of Climate Change on Rural Education. Indigenous Knowledge, Resilience and Adaptive Capacity. Social Networks, Knowledge and Adaptations. 

Reading Discussion: Birkmann, J., E. Liwenga, R. Pandey, E. Boyd, R. Djalante, F. Gemenne, W. Leal Filho, P.F. Pinho, L. Stringer, and D. Wrathall, 2022: Poverty, Livelihoods and Sustainable Development. In: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1171–1274, doi:10.1017/9781009325844.010. 

Field Trip: Huaypo Lake – Chinchero Community. Indigenous Knowledge and Traditional Livelihoods. 

Week 10 

3.4. Protection of Indigenous Knowledge 

Use and Misuse of Indigenous Knowledge. Moral Rights. Confidential Information. Potential and Limitations of current policies. 

Reading Discussion: Hossain, K and Ballardini, R.M. 2021. Protecting Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Through a Holistic Principle-Based Approach, Nordic Journal of Human Rights, 39:1, 51-72, DOI: 10.1080/18918131.2021.1947449. 

UNIT 4. CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY AND PLANNING 

Debate: Application of Indigenous People’s Livelihood and Knowledge to worldwide climate change adaptation/mitigation.  

Field Trip: Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria - INIA. Government roles and Indigenous Communities. 

Week 11 

4.1. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 

UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. IPCC and Policy support for mitigation and adaptation. 

 

Week 12 

4.2. A Whole System Approach and Indigenous Knowledge 

Knowledge co-production: indigenous and scientific collaboration. Observation, Adaptation and Interpretation of Climate Change by Indigenous Peoples. Challenges for adaptation planning. Methods and tools available for climate change research and adaptation. 

Reading Discussion: Cajete, Gregory. 2020. Indigenous Science, Climate Change, and Indigenous Community Building: A Framework of Foundational Perspectives for Indigenous Community Resilience and Revitalization. Sustainability. 12. 9569. 10.3390/su12229569. 

Week 13 

 

Final Paper Presentations – Final Exam 

 

* Note: The Schedule is subject to revision 

 

Course Policies: Student Expectations 

 

Attendance and Punctuality: 

Attendance and punctuality are basic requirements for an effective discussion and team-based course. Beyond that, each person's frequency and quality of contribution to the class discussion will be assessed and reflected in the class participation score. 

Five absences (excused or unexcused) lower the final course grade by five points (approximately a half letter grade). The final course grade will be lowered an additional five points for each class missed over and above the first three. If the student accumulates more than five unexcused absences, he/she will be placed on academic probation and the home university will be notified. In the event of an emergency or illness, students should petition for an excused absence from the professor with the appropriate documentation within a week of the absence. 

Missing a reading/video session counts as 1.5 absences. Missing a field trip counts as two absences. 

The third time a student is more than 10 minutes late to a class; it will be considered an unexcused absence. 

 

Late Work Policy: 

There are no makeups for presentations, leading reading sessions, and exams unless the student demonstrates in advance (and the Professor agrees) that a significant life-event prevents him/her from attending class or if a documented emergency is provided. The following are not acceptable excuses: scheduled flights or trips, scheduled non-emergency doctor appointments, picking up relatives or friends at the airport, etc. If a student schedules something else during a class when is to give a presentation, lead a discussion session, or take an exam, the student will get a zero for that grade. 

In the event of an excused absence, students will be expected to confer with the professor regarding the possibility of making up any missed coursework, homework and/or exams. In the event of an unexcused absence students are responsible for any missed coursework and notes, but late homework will not be accepted. 

 

Professionalism Policy: 

Bear in mind you are in a professional school, and a member of a learning community. Thus you are expected to comport yourself as a professional person. For instance, be on time for class, do not leave the class while it is in progress for other than emergencies -if you need to do so make sure you ask the professor for permission-, turn off cell phones, be respectful of others’ viewpoints even if you disagree with them, do not use improper language, do not put your feet up on your desk, raise your hand if you want to participate, and dress appropriately for a professional activity. Eating is not allowed during class. 

 

Food and Drink Policy: 

No food is allowed in the classroom. Your understanding of the necessity for this policy and cooperation will be greatly appreciated. This policy will be strictly enforced.  

 

Course Policies: Technology and Media 

 

Email: Students will receive a weekly message reminding them about content and activities for that week. 

 

Laptop Usage: Personal computers, tablets and smartphones are allowed as long as they are being used for class purposes (PDF files, Class PowerPoint slides, etc.). No phone calls/messaging are allowed during class. 

 

Important Dates to Remember 

Dates will be posted in the Planning File on Academics.