Meteorologists Meeting Rainmakers: Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Policy Processes in Kenya

Abstract

This article seeks to shed light on policy processes arising from interaction between indigenous rainmakers and meteorologists, in participatory action research aimed at increasing the capacity of a local community to adapt to climate change. Policy processes were analysed from the perspective of actors, their narratives and interests. At the beginning of the project, the interactions between the meteorologists and rainmakers was characterised by mutual scepticism. The two groups negotiated on modalities of working together and successfully made joint seasonal weather forecasts that showed good convergence. The analyses using the three lenses of actor-narrative-interest enabled the study to tease out policy dynamics that are often ignored in climate change mitigation studies. Understanding these dynamics is important to ensure that climate change strategies are designed in congruence with local policy dynamics. © 2011 The Authors. IDS Bulletin © 2011 Institute of Development Studies.