This book interrogates the contributions that religious traditions have made to climate change discussions within Africa, whether positive or negative. Drawing on a range of African contexts and religious traditions, the book provides concrete suggestions on how individuals and communities of faith must act in order to address the challenge of climate change. Despite the fact that Africa has contributed relatively little to historic carbon emissions, the continent will be affected disproportionally by the increasing impact of anthropogenic climate change. Contributors to this book provide a range of rich case studies to investigate how religious traditions, such as Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and indigenous faiths influence the worldviews and actions of their adherents. The chapters also interrogate how the moral authority and leadership provided by religion can be used to respond and adapt to the challenges posed by climate change. Topics covered include risk reduction and resilience, youth movements, indigenous knowledge systems, environmental degradation, gender perspectives, ecological theories, and climate change financing. This book will be of interest to scholars in diverse fields, including religious studies, sociology, political science, climate change, and environmental humanities. It may also benefit practitioners involved in solving community challenges related to climate change. Ezra Chitando is Professor of History and Phenomenology of Religion at the University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe and Theology Consultant on HIV in Africa for the World Council of Churches. Ernst M. Conradie is Senior Professor in the Department of Religion and Theology at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. He is co-editor (with Hilda Koster) of the T&T Clark Handbook of Christian Theology and Climate Change (2019). Susan M. Kilonzo is Associate Professor at the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Maseno University, Kenya. Her research and publication interests include religion and climate change, gender, development, peace- building, and method and theory. African Perspectives on Religion and Climate Change Routledge Studies on Religion in Africa and the Diaspora 1. Community and Trinity in Africa Ibrahim S. Bitrus 2. Contextualizing Eschatology in African Cultural and Religious Beliefs Ibigbolade S. Aderibigbe 3. Politics and Religion in Zimbabwe The Deification of Robert G. Mugabe Edited by Ezra Chitando 4. Personality Cult and Politics in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe Edited by Ezra Chitando 5. Race, Class and Christianity in South Africa Middle-Class Moralities Ibrahim Abraham 6. Religion and the Covid-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa Edited by Fortune Sibanda, Tenson Muyambo and Ezra Chitando 7. African Perspectives on Religion and Climate Change Edited by Ezra Chitando, Ernst M. Conradie and Susan M. Kilonzo For more information about this series, please visit: www​.routledge​.com​/series​/ routledge​-studies​-religion​-africa​-diaspora​/RSRAD www.routledge.com/series/routledge-studies-religion-africa-diaspora/RSRAD www.routledge.com/series/routledge-studies-religion-africa-diaspora/RSRAD Edited by Ezra Chitando, Ernst M. Conradie and Susan M. Kilonzo African Perspectives on Religion and Climate Change An electronic version of this book is freely available, thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched (KU). KU is a collaborative initiative designed to make high quality books Open Access for the public good. The Open Access ISBN for this book is 9781003147909. More information about the initiative and links to the Open Access version can be found at www.knowledgeunlatched.org. First published 2022 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2022 selection and editorial matter, Ezra Chitando, Ernst M. Conradie and Susan M. Kilonzo; individual chapters, the contributors The right of Ezra Chitando, Ernst M. Conradie and Susan M. Kilonzo to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record has been requested for this book ISBN: 978-0-367-61607-6 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-70771-2 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-14790-9 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003147909 Typeset in Bembo by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003147909 www.knowledgeunlatched.org www.taylorfrancis.com List of figures vii List of tables viii List of contributors ix Introduction: African perspectives on religion and climate change 1 EZRA CHITANDO 1 African Traditional Religion and climate change: Perspectives from Zimbabwe 22 TABONA SHOKO 2 The climate crisis: Mitigation and control through Emaswati indigenous knowledge 34 SONENE NYAWO 3 The nexus between indigenous beliefs on environment and climate change adaptation amongst the Sengwer in Embobut Forest, Kenya 50 LOREEN MASENO AND KING’ASIA MAMATI 4 An African ecofeminist appraisal of the value of indigenous knowledge systems in responding to environmental degradation and climate change 65 LILIAN C. SIWILA 5 Women, indigenous knowledge systems, and climate change in Kenya 79 SUSAN MBULA KILONZO Contents vi  Contents 6 Putting words into action: The role of the Church in addressing climate change in Ghana 91 BEATRICE OKYERE-MANU AND STEPHEN NKANSAH MORGAN 7 The mainline churches and climate change in Uganda 104 DAVID ANDREW OMONA 8 Five years after: An overview of the response of Catholics in Africa to the Laudato Si’s call for creation care 120 GEORGE C. NCHE 9 Youth and climate change in the United Church of Zambia 147 DAMON MKANDAWIRE 10 Hinduism and climate change in Africa 160 ELIZABETH PULANE MOTSWAPONG 11 Risk reduction interventions, building resilience and adaptation to climate change in northeastern Kenya: A review of the response by the Islamic relief worldwide 172 HASSAN JUMA NDZOVU 12 The religio-spiritual and sacred dimensions of climate-induced conflicts: A research agenda 186 JORAM TARUSARIRA AND DAMARIS S. PARSITAU 13 African religious leaders and climate change financing 203 VERONICA NONHLANHLA GUNDU-JAKARASI 14 Climate change as a multi-layered crisis for humanity 215 ERNST M. CONRADIE Index 235 7.1 (a) & (b) Soil erosion in Karamoja. Source: Byekwaso, F. et al. (n.d), The impacts of climate change on food security and livelihoods in Karamoja, Kampala: C-ADAPT & MWE 111 8.1 Showing the percentage distribution of responses 136 8.2 Showing the regional distribution of responses to Laudato Si’ 140 Figures 8.1 African Catholics’ Response to Laudato Si’ 125 8.2 Showing the Statistical Presentation of the Responses 136 8.3 Showing the Regional Differences in Responses 137 Tables Ezra Chitando is Professor of History and Phenomenology of Religion at the University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe and Theology Consultant on HIV in Africa for the World Council of Churches. Ernst M. Conradie is Senior Professor in the Department of Religion and Theology at the University of the Western Cape. He is Co-editor (with Hilda Koster) of the T&T Clark Handbook of Christian Theology and Climate Change (2019). Veronica Nonhlanhla Gundu-Jakarasi is a Chartered Development Finance Expert with experience in environmental and climate diplomacy, resource mobilization, and climate programming. She is a manager responsible for climate finance and sustainability with the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe. Her research and publica- tion interests include climate finance, climate policy, disaster risk management, religion, inclusion and gender, adaptation, and climate-compatible agriculture. Susan M. Kilonzo is Associate Professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Maseno University, Kenya. Her research and publication interests include religion and climate change, gender, development, peace- building, and method and theory. King’asia Mamati is Doctoral Student in Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Cologne. His research interests include human-envi- ronment relationships, indigenous peoples, climate change, and religion. Loreen Maseno (PhD) is Senior Lecturer, Department of Religion and Philosophy, Maseno University, Kenya and Research Fellow, Department of Biblical and Ancient Studies, University of South Africa. She has a solid research portfolio and has published extensively. Damon Mkandawire serves as Hospital Administrator for Mbereshi Mission Hospital in Zambia. He is an ordained minister of word and sacraments in the United Church of Zambia. He is also an environmentalist, a young theologian, a GreenFaith Fellow, and a founding member of the GreenFaith International Network. Contributors x  Contributors Stephen Nkansah Morgan (PhD) is currently Lecturer with the Department of Philosophy and Classics of the University of Ghana, where he teaches a wide range of philosophical courses at both graduate and undergraduate levels. His research interest is in environmental and animal ethics, social and political philosophy, and African philosophy broadly construed. Elizabeth P. Motswapong (PhD) is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana. Her research fields are: Indian Religions with a Concentration in Hindu Studies, HIV and AIDS, Gender in Comparative Religions and Queer Studies. George C. Nche is Lecturer and holds a PhD in religion and society in the Department of Religion and Cultural Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. He is currently a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Religion Studies at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His research foci are religion and ecology, security, and conflict. Hassan Ndzovu is Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy, Religion, and Theology at Moi University in Kenya. He has held post- doctoral positions in Europe and North America. His research and publi- cation interests include Islam in Africa, as well as Islam and development in Africa. Sonene Nyawo is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Eswatini, Kingdom of Eswatini. Her research interests include gender and religion, church history, new religious movements in Africa, and women and peace-building. Beatrice Okyere-Manu (PhD) is Senior Lecturer in the School of Religion, Philosophy, and Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is the Programme Director for Applied Ethics. Her research interest is in devel- opment ethics, which covers the following areas: family ethics, indigenous knowledge in African culture, African environmental ethics, and migration ethics and technology. David Andrew Omona is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Administration and Governance and Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences at the Uganda Christian University – Mukono. He holds a Doctorate of Political Studies focusing on International Relations and Diplomacy from Kenyatta University. His research interests include Ethics, International Relations and Diplomatic Practice, Conflict and Peace Studies. Damaris Parsitau is Associate Professor of Religion and Gender Studies at Egerton University in Kenya and the current President of the African Association for the Study of Religion (AASR). She is also formerly a Research Associate and Visiting Professor at Harvard’s Divinity School (HDS) at the Women Studies in Religion Programme. Contributors  xi Tabona Shoko is Professor in the Department of Philosophy Religion and Ethics at the University of Zimbabwe. His research and publication interests include religion and climate change, gender and sexual diversity, human rights, environment, conflict resolution, and peace. Lilian C. Siwila is Associate Professor in the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She is a Lecturer in Theology and Gender Studies. She is a member of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians. Her research interests include gender, culture, liturgy, indigenous knowledge on ecology, sexual and reproductive health rights, and its interface with feminist theology. Joram Tarusarira is Assistant Professor of Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. His research focuses on religion, conflict transformation, peace-building, reconciliation, and cli- mate-induced conflicts. http://taylorandfrancis.com DOI:  10.4324/9781003147909-1 Introduction Climate change, a global emergency, has become one of the most pressing issues of our time (see, for example, Religions for Peace 2016: 6; Satgar 2019; Gills and Morgan 2020; Cilliers 2021 (chapter 15); and IPCC 2021). Activists from diverse backgrounds have drawn attention to the urgency of addressing climate change, as it is an existential threat. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Number 13 on climate action, itself closely con- nected to other SDGs (Nerini et al. 2019), expresses the emerging consensus on the need to address climate change as a matter of urgency. It refers to the need to “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.” As I shall argue throughout this chapter, Africa’s vulnerability to the impact of climate change calls for climate justice, which in turn is tied to human rights and sustainable development. Thus, “Climate justice links human rights and sustainable development to safeguard the rights of those affected by climate change” (Puaschunder 2020: 29). The African Union (AU) and member states have been actively involved in the quest for a climate-resilient and prosperous Africa (Songwe 2019). More reassuringly, young African women have been at the forefront of the call to world leaders to act decisively in the face of the climate emergency.1 Climate change is a cross-cutting issue that requires global solidarity and investment of diverse resources. In this volume, we focus on African perspectives on religion and climate change. I shall elaborate on the religious dimension further below. However, there is a need to highlight why the focus on climate change is criti- cal from the onset. Thus: Climate change is a major global challenge. However, some geographical regions are more affected than others. One of these regions is the African continent. Due to a combination of unfavorable socioeconomic and mete- orological conditions, African countries are particularly vulnerable to cli- mate change and its impacts. The IPCC Special Report “Global Warming by 1.5 °C” outlines the fact that maintaining global warming by 1.5 °C is possible, but also points out that a 2 °C increase could lead to crises in Ezra Chitando Introduction Introduction African perspectives on religion and climate change Ezra Chitando 10.4324/9781003147909-1 https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003147909-1 2  Ezra Chitando agriculture (rain-fed agriculture could decline by 50% in some African countries by 2020) and livestock, damage water supplies, and pose an addi- tional threat to coastal areas. (Oguge et al. 2021: v) At the time that this volume was being finalized (September/October 2021), several global conferences that focused on climate change or addressed its impact had either just taken place, were underway, or were anticipated. The United Nations General Assembly, the Youth4Climate Summit, and the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, were all lined up. Even in the middle of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, it remained clear that climate change demanded urgent attention (see, for example, Hill 2021) and commu- nities have had to invest in climate change adaptation and mitigation (see, for example, Nyikahadzoi and Mhlanga 2021). Diverse actors, including political and religious leaders, as well as activists, strove to ensure that climate change remained high on the global agenda. The danger, as always, was that once the discourse assumed a global dimen- sion, Africa would be marginalized. However, the continent refuses to be writ- ten off and continues to exercise agency (see, for example, Murithi 2014 and Chipaike and Matarutse 2018). It is important to focus on Africa since it has been affected by climate change in very profound ways, with the anticipated future impact being quite severe (Collier, Conway and Venables 2008; Niang et al. 2014). According to the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), Africa is the continent most vulner- able to climate change and climate variability. Thus: Africa is already being impacted by climate change in many ways, and is set to be further impacted unless sufficient effective international action is taken. Climate change in the first place involves increases in average tem- peratures, with consequent changes both to human societies and to natural ecosystems. Increased temperatures involve threats to human health and resilience, together with the expansion of deserts and increased difficulties for people living in the semi-arid margins of deserts, in their efforts to con- tinue to support themselves. Climate change also causes an increase in both the intensity and the frequency of extreme weather events such as storms, hurricanes, floods, droughts and wildfires, and these derivative changes in their turn cause more than a few human communities to migrate to more hospitable regions, usually away from the equator and towards the poles, with many in Africa moving either north towards the Mediterranean or south towards the Cape of Good Hope. (Attfield 2019:282) Cognisant of the challenges posed by climate change, SDG 13 seeks to inten- sify resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related threats and natural dis- asters in all countries; integrate climate change measures into national policies, Introduction  3 strategies, and planning; and improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning. This SDG also strives to ensure that there is the implementation of the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible. The other target is to promote mechanisms for raising capacity for efficient climate change-related planning and management in the least developed countries, including focusing on women, youth, and local and marginalized communities.2 “We Do Not Inherit the Earth from Our Ancestors, We Borrow It from Our Children”:3 African perspectives on religion and climate change As was the case with the early days of the HIV and AIDS epidemic in the mid- 1990s when all the investment was in the medical sector, the danger has been real that the global response to the climate emergency would be exclusively from the perspective of science. However, as the effective response to HIV and AIDS has been prompted by the realization of the need for a multi-sectoral approach, so will an effective response to climate change need to embrace a multi-sectoral approach. In this scheme, different stakeholders have to come together and collaborate in responding to climate change, each bringing their specific comparative advantage to the task (Gannon et al. 2021). Thus, for example, scientists, policymakers, private sector investors, religious and tra- ditional leaders, and others have to come together and implement strategies to counter the climate emergency. Operating from their specific places and bringing the resources from religion, religious actors have a critical role to play in responding to climate change (see, for example, Haberman 2021; Silvern and Davis 2021). As per Allison and Miller (2019), climate change is far too important to be left to science alone. The humanities, with their emphasis on values, are equally relevant to the discourse on climate change. In this volume, we are focusing on African perspectives on religion and climate change. However, religion’s place in responding to the climate emer- gency is not obvious. This is an outworking of two positions, each approach- ing religion from specific standpoints. First, some would argue that the issue of climate change is either a non-issue (denialists) or that the matter is so compli- cated that only highly qualified scientists can do justice to it. In both instances, religion would not feature. Second, others would say that religion is so deeply implicated in climate change that any effective solution would have to come outside or beyond religion. On his part, Philip Jenkins (2021) has chosen to focus on how changes in climate have the capacity to precipitate religious upheaval. 4  Ezra Chitando For the critics of religion, theological formulations within some dominant religions, such as Christianity’s dominion theology, in fact imply humanity has been mandated to dominate creation. This position, which was articulated forcefully by Lyn White Jr (1967) (see Tyson 2021), implies that religion is a barrier. In this understanding, religion is a negative force as it justifies human activities (primarily the burning of fossil fuels that cause climate change. Given the scientific consensus that climate change does not happen, but is caused by human activities, this critique of religion requires close scrutiny more than can be undertaken in the context of this introductory chapter (see, for example, Minteer 2005; Chuvieco, Burgui and Gallego-Álvarez 2016). Whatever the limitations of the formulation regarding the negative role of religion in relation to climate change, the primary assumption of the theory is correct: we human beings have been responsible for climate change through our activities (IPCC 2021). To couch this in biblical parlance, God would declare, “Your (Our) ways and your doings have brought this upon you” (Jeremiah 4: 18). This is not to suggest that climate change is a form of pun- ishment, but to draw attention to the impact of human activities in climate change discourses. This implies that behaviour change has the potential to turn the tide and provide better outcomes in the response to the climate emergency. On the other hand, some scholars contend that more liberating approaches to religion/theology and climate change are possible. (See, for example, Veldman, Szasz and Haluza-DeLay 2014; contributors to Conradie and Koster 2019. The latter volume also highlights various other relevant stakeholders in the climate change discourse.) Here, there is the conviction that if religions (or their followers) have been responsible for the climate emergency through promoting negative actions, inaction, and differences, they possess immense potential and capacity to be mobilized for positive climate action. Contributors to this volume are to be located within this camp. They are convinced that religion can be deployed as a resource to respond to climate change in an effec- tive way. Further, it can be argued that the close relationship between religion and climate change necessitates ongoing, deep analysis. Jenkins, Berry, and Kreider (2018: 86) rightly refer to the “entanglement” between religion and climate change. Thus: Insofar as climate change is entangled with humans, from causes to con- sequences and from meanings to meliorations, it is also entangled with all the ways in which religion shapes, haunts, interprets, inspires, or other- wise attends human ways of being. Fully understanding climate change therefore requires understanding its religious aspects, especially the way religion is involved in human experiences of and human responses to cli- mate change. (Jenkins, Berry and Kreider 2018: 86) We need to explain our decision to focus on African perspectives on religion and climate change. We unapologetically reveal or state that our decision to Introduction  5 reflect on African perspectives on religion and climate change is not from a neutral ideological standpoint. Far from it, we are inspired by the convic- tion that African scholars (and the religions we study) are not disinterested bystanders in the discourse on climate change, in general, and religion and climate change in particular. In fact, they are key stakeholders and have a direct and abiding interest in how religion in Africa responds to climate change. African scholars cannot subcontract or outsource the responsibility of generat- ing knowledge on African phenomena (Hountondji 2009). Thus, this volume seeks to give voice and a platform to African scholars to express themselves on religion and climate change in Africa. This is a critical exercise since: Biases in authorship make it likely that the existing bank of knowledge around climate change and its impacts is skewed towards the interests of male authors from the global north. This can create blind spots around the needs of some of the most vulnerable people to climate change, particu- larly women and communities in the global south. (Tandon 2021) The need for African scholars to be present in discourses relating to the conti- nent is an urgent one. According to Musimbi Kanyoro and Mercy Oduyoye (2006: 1), “African women theologians have come to realize that as long as men and foreign researchers remain the authorities on culture, rituals, and religion, African women will continue to be spoken of as if they were dead.” The spectre facing African women theologians is the same that African scholars in general are facing in African studies. This is the challenge of ensuring that the African voice is audible in global discourses. Given Africa’s vulnerability to climate change, it is critical for African scholars to be on high alert regarding the continent’s rights (Addaney, Boshoff and Olusola 2017). Thus, how Africa’s resources should be managed in the context of climate change must remain a critical issue for African scholars. There must be permanent vigilance on the part of African scholars. Ethical reflections and advocacy by African scholars need to be increased and deepened, given the continent’s historical struggles for justice. Thus, “Although it is the continent least responsible for climate change, Africa is home to some of the world’s harshest climates and most vulnerable popu- lations” (Welborn 2018: 3). Consequently, it is critical for African scholars to be advancing Africa’s interests, including amplifying the continent’s voice and ensuring that Africa’s priorities (climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building) are attended to (Skah 2020). In this regard, African academ- ics, policymakers, climate change activists, religious and traditional leaders, and others must invest in climate diplomacy. All these actors must be well informed about the notable progress that the AU has been making in responding to cli- mate change. Thus: Africa’s involvement to address climate change has been demonstrated through many on-going initiatives at the global, regional, sub-regional 6  Ezra Chitando and national levels. At the global level, such initiatives include the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, the Nairobi Work Programme and the Bali Action Plan, among others. At the regional level, such initiatives include the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), the Framework of Southern and Northern Africa Climate Change Programmes, and the East African Community Climate Change Policy. Another demand from the perspective of the Africans is the implementation of the Bali Action Plan, which is centred on adaptation, mitigation, technology and financ- ing. The Action Plan presents a more comprehensive and long term coop- erative framework for ensuring global emissions reduction. Through the engagement of Heads of State, the AU approach on climate matters has evolved from an aggressive and evasive to a more cooperative one. (Lisinge-Fotabong et al. 2016: 2–3) Our focus on African perspectives on religion and climate change must also be located in our endeavour to contribute towards ongoing reflections on the role of religion in attaining the United Nations’ SDGs Agenda 2030 and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Climate change has an impact on these devel- opment initiatives. For example, a review of climate change measures high- lights their impact on progress towards achieving the SDGs in various regions of the world (Dagnachew et al. 2021 and Soergel et al. 2021). In particular, contributors to this volume focused on SDG 13, namely, the role of religion in Africa in responding to the climate emergency. Whereas there have been effective reflections on religion/theology and cli- mate change in Africa (see, for example, Chitando 2020 and Werner 2020 for overviews), these have mostly been in diverse journals and chapters in edited volumes. We seek to bring together reflections and descriptions relating to the role of religion in Africa in the context of the climate emergency in one vol- ume. In addition, we anticipate that the volume will also encourage research- ers, policymakers, the private sector, and lecturers in Africa to invest more in research and teaching on religion and climate change in Africa. We envisage that this publication will prompt other researchers to pursue other themes that we were not able to cover. These include religion and cli- mate change in Africa with particular reference to, among others, children (see, for example, Godfrey and Tunhuma 2020), people with disability (see, for example, Gaskin et al. 2017), men and masculinities, food security, and others. We also could not cover the responses of African Pentecostals, African Indigenous Churches, Rastafari and members of younger religions on the con- tinent. This will contribute towards getting a more rounded picture of the role of religion in Africa in the climate change response. Overall, then, our volume makes a conscious effort to reposition Africa in discourses on climate change. We have sought to move from the dominant narrative of perpetual victimhood to highlight Africa’s creativity and agency in the response to the climate emergency. Contributors to this volume focus on the various initiatives by diverse faith actors on the African continent to Introduction  7 address climate change. These faith actors are doing so in a context where nearly all African countries have signed and ratified the Paris Agreement and are undertaking initiatives to cut emissions. African governments have been quite proactive in responding to climate change, unlike some governments in the Global North that have not been willing to make the necessary financial commitments. Ubuntu, indigenous knowledge systems, and climate change in Africa African perspectives on religion and climate change are heavily shaped by Ubuntu and indigenous knowledge systems (IKS). Whereas the contemporary African religious landscape is characterized by radical religious pluralism, with multiple religious traditions competing for space (see, for example, Platvoet 1996), Ubuntu and IKS provide the foundation or underlying frame of refer- ence for many Africans who embrace the new religions in Africa. Although there are grounds for discussing Ubuntu and IKS together, as they both pro- ceed from an African indigenous approach to reality, it is strategic to separate them. Ubuntu, an African concept that emphasizes solidarity, is a powerful resource in the climate change response. Whereas Ubuntu has been mostly associated with deepening social cohesion and reconciliation (see, for example, Villa- Vicencio 2009: 127), it is important to recognize that its value extends to pro- tecting the environment and responding to climate change. Indeed, Ubuntu can serve as a reminder of the need for human beings to be in solidarity with creation (see, for example, Shumba 2011). As various African philosophers have sought to demonstrate (see, for example, Murove 2009; Etiyeibo 2017; Kelbessa 2018; Chinamakonam 2018; Chemhuru 2019 and Tosam 2019), African environmental ethics recognizes the integrity of creation. Ubuntu is as much about human relations as it is about humanity’s interface with nature (Chibvongodze 2016). Central to Ubuntu as a resource in climate discourses in Africa is its opposi- tion to the wanton exploitation of nature by humans, as well as its call to human beings to accept that they (we) are in an intimate relationship with nature. Ubuntu is premised on the equality of all creation. It is a radical philosophy that challenges ecocide and the plundering of African resources (Terreblanche 2018). When deployed strategically, Ubuntu has the potential to mobilize the African (and global) community to invest in protecting creation and respond- ing effectively to climate change. Ubuntu is a dimension of IKS. Africans have been utilizing IKS to protect the environment and sustainability (Mawere and Awuah-Nyamekye 2015) since time immemorial. Through African spirituality, they have regarded all creation as sacred, and this has revered them to revere nature. Although Nisbert Taringa (2006) questioned this line of thinking, subsequent researchers have maintained that indigenous African spirituality contributes towards preserving the environment. These beliefs are an integral part of the IKS and are relevant 8  Ezra Chitando to Africa’s response to climate change (see, for example, Mafongoya et al. 2016; Mafongoya and Ajayi 2017; Tarusarira 2017 and Brazier 2020). A recent systematic review of the literature shows that there is a growing appreciation of the role of IKS in supporting the development of effective climate change adaptation strategies in Africa (Nyadzi, Ajayi and Ludwig 2021). African spir- itual beliefs contribute to the conservation of sacred spaces (Ogundayo and Adekunle 2019), while African indigenous spirituality remains significant in response to climate change (see, for example, Mwale 2014). Indigenous spir- ituality provides the interpretive frame when Africans respond to the impact of climate change (see, for example, Chirongoma and Chitando 2021). It is also critical for appreciating conflicts and security concerns that erupt between governments and citizens when development is conceptualized exclusively in technical terms (Tarusarira 2021). African women play an important role in IKS and African spirituality (see, for example, Aluko 2018; Lukhele-Olorunji and Gwandure 2018; Matholeni, Boateng and Manyonganise 2020). Although colonialism and missionary reli- gions have had a negative impact on the African women’s indigenous spiritual- ity, it is critical to note that they continue to be reservoirs of knowledge (see, for example, Mukonyora 1999). Their special relationship to creation, however, is constantly threatened by multiple forms of violence. They have demonstrated remarkable resilience, resisting patriarchal approaches that seek to conquer crea- tion. They share this spirit of resistance with other indigenous women from dif- ferent parts of the world who are facing extractivism and climate change. Thus: In this context, women are the primary victims of an extractivism that is characterised by machismo and racism; in other words, the very essence of the prevailing anthropocentrism is expressed with equal force in androcen- trism and colonialism (the congenital roots of capitalist civilisation). And yet it is women who are increasingly leading the resistance and building alternatives, for they very quickly come to understand the effects of such violence. Who better to have such an understanding than those who pro- tect life in the broadest sense of the meaning? (Acosta 2020: 17) “For Tomorrow Belongs to the People Who Prepare for It Today” (an African proverb): religious leaders in Africa and climate change Alongside the resources offered by Ubuntu and IKS, religious leaders in Africa can contribute towards the climate change response in diverse ways and by uti- lizing various strategies. One major contribution of religious actors in respond- ing to the climate emergency is advocacy to pressurize political leaders. For example, continuing with the trend where religious leaders seek to challenge political leaders, on 4 October 2021, religious leaders from diverse faith com- munities and scientists met at the Vatican, Rome, to release the statement, Introduction  9 “Faith and Science: An Appeal for COP26.” Religious leaders, including rep- resentatives of the World Council of Churches, “various Christian denomi- nations, Sunni and Shi’a Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Zoroastrainism and Jainism,” met and “called upon the world to achieve net-zero carbon emissions as soon as possible, and to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.”4 While the event described in the foregoing paragraph was strategic, however, the absence of representatives of African Indigenous/Traditional Religions (AT/IRs) from among the religious leaders who attended the meeting at the Vatican is noteworthy. It is a product of the systematic exclusion and minimiza- tion of AT/IRs (and Africans) in global processes. Scholarly critiques that high- light the invention of “world religions” (see, for example, Masuzawa 2005 and Chidester 2018) have exposed the racial and ideological factors that lie behind the hierarchical ordering of religions. As is clear from the list of representatives of religions who attended the meeting at the Vatican, leaders of AT/IRs con- tinue to be marginalized. According to Mohan Marouan: the global presence of African religions does not necessarily signify that Africans have succeeded in breaking racial and cultural barriers in the West, or that African religions have become a unifying factor beyond identity politics in places like Europe and North America … African reli- gions in the West still remain marginalized and are viewed with suspicion. (Marouan 2015 :239) Despite the marginalization of leaders of AT/IRs from climate change pro- cesses, including by African Christians (see, for example, Taringa 2014: 11), religious leaders in Africa have numerous other opportunities to contribute towards climate action (see also Chitando 2017 and Nche 2020). To begin with, they are strategically placed to initiate awareness of the threat of climate change and the need for accompanying action. Where global religious actors have issued many impressive statements on climate change, it is African reli- gious leaders who are best placed to interpret these statements in the light of local realities. This conscientization role of religious leaders can be clearly seen in Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ (see Chapter in this volume). In this regard, reli- gion can provide the language/idiom of talking about climate change. Thus: Religion need not necessarily only serve as a moral imperative that trans- forms normative conclusions from climate science into mobilising behav- iours for establishing what scientists would regard as more sustainable. Rather, religion can mobilise its own skills to interpret the God of the Here and Now and to explore the Spirit who gives life in manifold liberat- ing patterns. The richness of religious language emphasising weather as a spiritual force would, for example, enrich the tools for interpreting change and for creatively adapting to it in a maximally constructive way. (Bergmann 2021: 7) 10  Ezra Chitando Religious leaders in Africa are strategically placed to lead by example. For example, leaders of AT/IRs can continue to promote the protection of sacred natural sites. This is a critical undertaking that AT/IRs have been engaged in for centuries. While colonialism and missionary religions have sought to demythologize African sacred sites, leaders of AT/IRs have been consistent in protecting these sacred sites. On their part, African and other indigenous scholars have to be actively involved in reflecting on the importance of these sacred sites. Thus: The relevance of Indigenous perspectives and Indigenous sacred sites can be demonstrated in several ways: 1) Indigenous perspectives on sacred sites are of unique value to the existing discourse, and 2) they help to redress the continuing marginalization of Indigenous voices tied to the lingering legacy of colonialism. (Liljeblad 2019: 3) On their part, church leaders can encourage their followers to live in accord- ance with the covenant with God and creation by supporting and practising small-scale life-giving agriculture, creating community gardens, and providing clean water. They can also invest in renewable energy and climate protection, promote just and sustainable consumption, promote economies of life, and increase their networking (Peralta and Tendis circa 2019) (see also, Peralta 2021). Here, religious leaders will be demonstrating commitment by adopting life styles that are consistent with stewardship in the face of climate emergency. By showing that it can no longer be “business as usual,” religious leaders will be demonstrating the necessity of behaviour change in their communities. They must become credible examples to others by “walking the talk” in the quest for climate justice. Perhaps one of the most demanding roles that religious leaders in Africa can take up is the prophetic one. They have to remind world leaders of the commitments they have made to respond to climate change. In par- ticular, world leaders must fulfil the pledges they made in the historic Paris Agreement. As Pope Francis has demonstrated, it is critical for religious lead- ers to sound the alarm in relation to the climate emergency. The world is running out of time, and it is important for religious leaders to remind the duty bearers of their responsibilities. Religious leaders at various levels (see, for example, Ostheimer and Blanc 2021) need to challenge politicians to ensure that the idea of sustainable development is upheld. They need to protest when citizens are rendered vulnerable by “development” that leaves them worse off, alongside threatening the health and well-being of future generations. Africa, long exploited and marginalized in the global financial architecture, must be adequately covered in climate financing. This refers to climate-related financial flows within and between states which aim at supporting both mit- igation and adaptation actions to climate change. With COVID-19 having Introduction  11 compromised climate finance for investment in green development (see, for example, Shipalanya and Chigwenya 2021), it is critical for religious leaders in Africa to call for more climate financing for Africa. They will need to engage in advocacy on multiple fronts, given the reality that “climate financing comes from various sources, multilateral and bilateral, public and private” (Mungai, Ndiruti and da Silva 2021: 2074). Africa will need to mobilize both internal and external resources to respond to climate change, and religious leaders are strategically placed to play a role in this engagement (see, for example, Gundu- Jakarasi, Chapter 13, this volume). Further, religious leaders in Africa will be required to do more in terms of challenging the current global order which has led to the climate emergency. They will need to call the world to repentance and a radical transformation of economic policies, calling for pollution taxes, ecological reparations, and ensuring that fossil fuels are kept in the ground, as well as to promote dialogue with scientists. They will have to be visible in both National Adaptation Plans (NAP) and the Long-Term Strategy (LTS). In many instances, as was the case during the early days of HIV and AIDS, they will need to undergo training in order to deepen their awareness of climate change issues. Key to the engage- ment of religious leaders are the theological and ethical insights that they bring to the discourse on climate change. Thus: What is needed for a massive transformational shift leading to alternative development patterns, is a narrative of hope and a vision of a better world, as provided by faith. It is the role of FBOs [faith-based organisations] to speak out with a prophetic voice and to announce what is not only neces- sary but also possible, if a transformative, empowering LTS [Long-Term Strategy] pathway is chosen. The provision of such a moral compass cannot be expected from economics, politics or science – but it can be a unique contribution from spiritual leaders and philosophers of high credibility. (Act Alliance 2018: 52) What does it mean to be growing up under the shadow of a climate emer- gency? How does one become positive about the future when the forecasts are that we are heading towards disaster? These and other questions continue to unsettle children and adolescents in Africa and globally. Impressively, however, children and youth have demonstrated greater resolve to take urgent action to respond to the climate emergency. Going forward, it will be strategic for religious leaders in Africa and globally to embrace the leadership of children and youth in the face of climate change. This will challenge the current patri- archal leadership and provide a new model of leadership within faith settings. For Africa, this will be quite consistent: after all, young people constitute the majority of the citizens (it is estimated that close to 60% of Africa’s population is under the age of 25) (Asiamah, Sambou and Bhoojedhur 2021: 1). Such engagement will lay the foundation for the realization of SDG 13 and lead to the actualization of the set targets. 12  Ezra Chitando Teaching theology and religious studies in Africa to respond to climate change: summarizing initial reflections While the current religious leaders in Africa will be expected to redouble their efforts, including engaging in the activities described in the foregoing section, it will be vital for current and future religious leaders to benefit from being equipped with knowledge and skills during their training. A longer narrative is required to do justice to this theme, which is tied to whether African theol- ogy and religious studies can address the most pressing existential issues of our time (see, for example, Amanze 2014). Some of the emerging reflections (see, for example, Werner and Jeglitzka 2015) have not covered the African theol- ogy and religious studies context in a direct and more inclusive way (see, for example, Blasu 2020). Thus, this section will highlight some of the key issues to be addressed within African theology and religious studies in the context of climate change. First, one of the most pressing roles for African religious leaders is to decolo- nize, contextualize, and localize the religion and climate change discourse (see, for example, Nhemachena and Mawere 2019). It is important for African expe- riences and realities to be prioritized in African theology and religious studies. The dominance of perspectives from the Global North must be challenged in African theology and religious studies. Thus, researchers within the field must invest in reflecting on African realities and utilize these to reflect on religion and climate change in Africa (see, for example, Chibuye and Buitendag 2020). While the dominance of Christian formulations is likely to continue in the near future due to the influence of Christianity on African theology and religious studies (see, for example, Ntreh, Aidoo and Arye 2019), there is a need to embrace a broader perspective. Second, it is important for African theology and religious studies to equip students with knowledge relating to the basic science of climate change. This is crucial, as there is no contradiction between theology and science, for example. Such an approach will enable students to appreciate the basic science of climate change. This would cover topics relating to carbon-based fuels, components of the earth’s atmosphere, the composition of the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect, weather and climate, and factors causing changes in climate.5 Lecturers must increase students’ awareness of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) comprehensive Assessment Reports on the scientific, techni- cal, and socioeconomic knowledge impacts on climate change, its impacts, and future risks. Third, it is strategic for the course to then explore the global perspectives on religion and climate change. This will entail examining the discourse on “world religions” and climate change, analyzing some of the major declarations and statements on climate change from diverse communities of faith. It is also quite helpful to expose students to the debates relating to religion and ecology within Western Christianity, as well as to whether religion is a positive factor in responding to climate change. As noted earlier, Lyn White Jr’s formulation Introduction  13 requires further interrogation, alongside encouraging students to develop their own positions. It is also valuable to focus on ecumenical and interfaith initia- tives to respond to climate change at the global level, as well as the emergence of critiques of development and the promotion of alternative lifestyles in the Global North (see, for example, Hall 2017). Fourth, the course can focus more specifically on religion and climate change in Africa. In this regard, it is helpful to explore Africa’s vulnerability to climate change, the status and role of AI/TRs, IKS, and Ubuntu, and climate justice. Perspectives from other religions in Africa (Christianity, Islam, Rastafari, etc.) will help the students to appreciate the complexity of the religion and climate change interface. Reflections on religion and food in the context of climate change in Africa will equip students to understand the existential implications of climate change. Highlighting some significant voices such as Ernst Conradie (2010), Jesse Mugambi, Musa Dube, Kapya Kaoma, and others (see, for exam- ple, Chitando 2020) will also facilitate awareness of the contribution of African scholars to the religion and climate change discourse. This section can also reflect on the efforts by African biblical studies schol- ars to provide “green” interpretations of the creation narrative in the book of Genesis. The theme of God creating the world “good” has motivated some African biblical studies scholars to maintain that this is a sound platform for Christians and other people of goodwill to be actively involved in ecologi- cal conservation in the wake of climate change. For example, reflections by, among others, Kojo Okyere (2018) from Ghana, Chris O. Manus and Des Obioma (2015) from Nigeria, and Mmapula D. Kebaneilwe (2015) and Musa W. Dube (2021) from Botswana provide valuable insights into African bibli- cal hermeneutics in the context of climate change. It is also helpful to include approaches adopted by scholars from other religions in Africa. Fifth, the course can address the theme of religion, gender, and climate justice more directly. Due to their greater dependence on agriculture, African women are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change (see, for example, Chidhakwa et al. 2020). However, this does not imply that African women are hapless victims of climate change. For example, it is gratifying to note that young African women are at the forefront of climate change activ- ism. This unit of the course needs to highlight the agency of African women in responding to climate change. It must also draw attention to emerging reflec- tions on this theme from within African theology and religious/biblical studies (see, for example, Berman et al. 2021). In particular, the course must reflect on Filomena Chioma Steady (2014)’s probing and feminist/liberating analysis of the impact of climate change on African women, as well as their adapta- tion and mitigation activities. This is consistent with the emerging reflections on women, theology, and climate justice globally (see, for example, Kim and Koster 2017), as well as the revolutionary praxis by the outstanding activist, Wangari Maathai of Kenya (see, for example, Van Klinken 2021). Sixth, the course on religion and climate change in Africa must adopt the perspective of liberation for the marginalized (humans and the earth) (see, 14  Ezra Chitando for example, Boff 1995; Martin 2003; Holden, Nadeau and Porio 2017). The aim of the course must be to generate a critical mass of actors devoted to personal and institutional transformation in order to act urgently in the wake of the climate emergency in Africa (Christian Aid 2014). By reflect- ing on IKS and Ubuntu, sacred texts, ethical and spiritual grounds for cli- mate justice, it is anticipated that the course will lay the foundation for an ecologically sustainable and socially equitable society. Religious leaders and other activists who will emerge from this course will be transformed life- long learners who are socially engaged and willing to challenge the racial, gender, and other forms of exclusion that exacerbate vulnerability to cli- mate change in Africa. The curriculum summarized above needs to be available to all those who are passionate about religion and climate change who might not be enrolled in African theology and religious studies formally. Given the urgency of the matter at hand, having as many empowered activists coming on board as pos- sible would be a welcome development. Utilizing online training methodolo- gies (which became enhanced during the COVID-19 lockdown), as well as Theological Education by Extension (TEE), will enable more people to access the training. In particular, lecturers in African theology and religious studies must be more deliberate about reaching young people, who have demon- strated high levels of creativity and commitment in responding to the climate emergency. Young people in African (and global) communities of faith con- stitute a powerful resource in addressing climate change effectively (see, for example, Christian Aid 2021). This is a source of hope, a uniquely religious theme (Bomberg and Hogue 2018: 589), that brings a refreshing perspective to climate change discourses. Overall, there is a need to adopt effective commu- nication strategies in order to counter the scepticism relating to climate change that is associated with the faith community (Bloomfied 2020). Chapters in this volume The chapters in this volume are organized thematically. The chapters in the first cluster address African Traditional/Indigenous Religions/Knowledge Systems, Gender, and Climate Change. In Chapter 1, Tabona Shoko examines this theme with special reference to Zimbabwe, while Sonene Nyawo does the same, but with a focus on Eswatini in Chapter 2. In Chapter 3, Loreen Maseno and King’asia Mamati reflect on the nexus between indigenous beliefs on the environment and climate change adaptation among the Sengwer in Embobut Forest, Kenya. Lilian C. Siwila provides an African ecofeminist appraisal of the value of indigenous knowledge systems to curbing environmental degradation and climate change in Chapter 4. Susan M. Kilonzo examines the theme of women, IKS, and climate change in Kenya in Chapter 5. All these chapters underscore the importance of AT/IRs and IKS to Africa’s response to the climate emergency. The focus on gender also highlights the critical role of women in religion in addressing climate change in Africa. Introduction  15 The middle cluster has chapters that discuss the role of various missionary religions in Africa in responding to climate change. In Chapter 6, Beatrice Okyere-Manu and Stephen Nkansah Morgan draw attention to the difficul- ties faced by Ghanaian churches, save for the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church, in offering effective responses to climate change. Mainline churches and climate church in Uganda is the focus of Chapter 7 by David Andrew Omona. George C. Nche reviews the African Catholic reaction to the encycli- cal, Laudato Si, in Chapter 8. Chapter 9 by Damon Mkandawire analyzes the potential of the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) to mobilize young people for climate action. In Chapter 10, Elizabeth Pulane Motswapong reflects on the less-studied theme of Hinduism and climate change in Africa. Chapter 11, by Hassan Juma Ndzovu, presents data on the contribution of the Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) to the climate change response in northeastern Kenya. These chapters confirm the positive role of religion, as well as the challenges religious actors face in addressing climate change in Africa. The final section of the volume has chapters that focus on emerging themes in the study of religion and climate change in Africa. Joram Tarusarira and Damaris S. Parsitau explore the religio-spiritual and sacred dimensions of con- flicts associated with climate change in Africa in Chapter 12. In Chapter 13, Veronica Nonhlanhla Gundu-Jakarasi offers perspectives on religious leaders and climate change financing in Africa. The concluding chapter (Chapter 14), by Ernst Conradie, reopens the discourse on religion and climate change by showing the complexity of the theme. These chapters confirm the richness and diversity associated with religion and climate change in Africa and beyond. Conclusion Our volume has the ambitious goal of initiating or setting the foundations for further, more detailed and ongoing engagements on religion and climate change in Africa. The motivation here is that the current generation of African scholars of religion and activists have an ethical obligation to bequeath a sus- tainable and flourishing environment to future generations. We recognize the value of African revolutionary thinkers such as Thomas Sankara, who spoke of “daring to invent the future,” where Africa takes responsibility for Africa’s own total liberation and emancipation from the exploitation of humans and the environment (see, for example, Murrey 2018). In line with this philoso- phy, the volume emerges from the insight from the proverb that “we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” Thus, we engaged in this assignment out of our conviction that we have an academic and community responsibility to contribute towards the overall climate change response. This will facilitate the realization of SDG 13 on climate action. Religion remains a significant part of life in Africa. Given the continent’s greater vulnerability to climate change, it is surprising that there is no avalanche of literature on religion and climate change. Contributors to this volume have offered reflections on this theme by exploring some strategic dimensions. 16  Ezra Chitando Clearly, there are various other dimensions that need to be covered in order to have a more holistic picture of the interface between religion and climate change in Africa. We anticipate that other researchers will complement our initial offering in this volume by addressing this pressing issue of our time. As one African proverb puts it, “[T]eeth that are together help each other in chewing food.” Notes 1 See, for example, “Vanessa Nakate Wants Climate Justice for Africa,” available at: https:// time​.com​/6109452​/vanessa​-nakate​-climate​-justice/, accessed 29 October 2021. Earlier, in 2020, Nakate’s image was cropped out of a photo with four young white women activists. See, for example, https://www​.theguardian​.com​/world​/2020​/jan​/29​/vanessa​ -nakate​-interview​-climate​-activism​-cropped​-photo​-davos, accessed 05 November 2021. 2 https://sdgs​.un​.org​/goals​/goal13, accessed 15 October 2021 3 Native American proverb. 4 Global religious leaders and scientists join to release “Faith and Science: An Appeal for COP26” | World Council of Churches (oikoumene​.o​rg), accessed 5 October 2021. 5 See, for example, https://en​.unesco​.org​/sites​/default​/files​/1​.11basic​_science​_of​_cli- mate​_change​.pdf References Acosta, Alberto. 2020. “Extractive Dependency Renewed: Violence against People, Territories, Visions,” in Rocío S. Santisteban, ed., Indigenous Women and Climate Change. Copenhagen: International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, 15–30. Act Alliance. 2018. Towards the Ambitious Implementation of the Paris Agreement: A Toolkit for National Level Advocacy. Geneva: Act Alliance. Addaney, Michael, Elsabe Boshoff and Bamisaye Olutola. 2017. “The Climate Change and Human Rights Nexus in Africa,” Amsterdam Law Forum 3, 5–28. Allison, Steven D. and Tyrus Miller. 2019. “Why Science needs the Humanities to Solve Climate Change,” The Conversation, 01 August. Available at: https://theconversation​ .com​/why​-science​-needs​-the​-humanities​-to​-solve​-climate​-change​-113832, accessed 29 October 2021. Aluko, Yetunde A. 2018. “Women’s Use of Indigenous Knowledge for Environmental Security and Sustainable Development in Southwest Nigeria,” The International Indigenous Policy Journal 9(3). Available at: https://ir​.lib​.uwo​.ca​/iipj​/vol9​/iss3/2 DOI: 10.18584/ iipj.2018.9.3.2 Amanze, James N. 2014. “The voicelessness of Theology and Religious Studies in Contemporary Africa: Who Is to Blame and What Has to be Done? Setting a New Agenda,” Missionalia 40(3), 189–204. Asiamah, Gildfred, Ousmane D. Sombou and Sadhiska Bhoodhur. 2021. Africans Say Governments Aren’t Doing Enough to Help Youth. Afrobarometer Dispatch No. 418. Attfield, Robin. 2019. “Africa and Climate Change,” Utafiti: Journal of African Perspective 14(2), 281–294. Bergmann, Sigurd. 2021. Weather, Religion and Climate Change. London: Routledge. Berman, Sydney K. et al. Eds. 2021. Mother Earth, Mother Africa and Biblical Studies Interpretations in the Context of Climate Change. Bamberg: University of Bamberg Press. https://time.com https://time.com https://www.theguardian.com https://www.theguardian.com https://sdgs.un.org http://www.oikoumene.org https://en.unesco.org https://en.unesco.org https://theconversation.com https://theconversation.com https://ir.lib.uwo.ca http://www.10.18584/iipj.2018.9.3.2 http://www.10.18584/iipj.2018.9.3.2 Introduction  17 Blasu, Ebenezer Y. 2020. African Theocology: Studies in African Religious Creation Care. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock. Bloomfield, Emma F. 2020. Communication Strategies for Engaging Climate Skeptics: Religion and the Environment. London: Routledge. Boff, Leonardo. 1995. “Liberation Theology and Ecology: Alternative, Confrontation or Complementarity?” In Leonardo Boff and Virgilio P. Elizondo, eds., Ecology and Poverty: Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor. Concilium 5. London: SCM Press, 67–77. Bomberg, Elizabeth and Alice Hague. 2018. “Faith-based Climate Action in Christian Congregations: Mobilisation and Spiritual Resources,”  Local Environment 23(5), 582–596, DOI: 10.1080/13549839.2018.1449822 Brazier, Anna. 2020. Harnessing Zimbabwe’s Indigenous Knowledge for a Changing Climate. Harare: Konrad Adenaeur Stiftung. Chemhuru, Munamato. Ed. 2019. African Environmental Ethics: A Critical Reader. Cham: Springer. Chibuye, Lackson and Johan Buitendag. 2020. “The Indigenisation of Eco-theology: The Case of the Lamba People of the Copperbelt in Zambia,” HTS Teologiese Studies/ Theological Studies 76(1), a6067. DOI: 10.4102/hts.v76i1.6067 Chidester, David. 2018. “World Religions in the World,” Journal for the Study of Religion 21(1), 41–53. Chidhakwa, Patience et al. 2020. “Women’s Vulnerability to Climate Change: Gender- skewed Implications on Agro-based Livelihoods in Rural Zvishavane, Zimbabwe,” Indian Journal of Gender Studies 37(2), 259–281. Chimakonam, Jonathan O. Ed. 2018. African Philosophy and Environmental Conservation. London: Routledge. Chipaike, Ronald and Knowledge H. Matarutse | Meissner Richard (Reviewing Editor). 2018. “The Question of African Agency in International Relations,”  Cogent Social Sciences 4(1), DOI: 10.1080/23311886.2018.1487257 Chirongoma, Sophia and Ezra Chitando. 2021. “What Did We Do to Our Mountain? African Eco-Feminist and Indigenous Responses to Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani and Chipinge Districts, Zimbabwe,” The African Journal of Gender and Religion in Africa 27(1), 65–90. Chitando, Ezra. 2017. “Praying for Courage: African Religious Leaders and Climate Change,” The Ecumenical Review 69(3), 425–435. Chitando, Ezra. 2020. “Ecotheology in Africa: An Overview and Preliminary Assessment,” In M. Christian Green and Muhammad Haron, eds., Law, Religion and Environment in Africa. Stellenbosch: African Sun Media, 3–15. Christian Aid. 2014. Song of the Prophets: A Global Theology of Climate Change. London: Christian Aid. Christian Aid. 2021. Our Prophetic Journey Towards Climate Justice: Personal Perspectives on Social and Environmental Justice from Black Church Leaders. London: Christian Aid. Available at: https://www​.christianaid​.org​.uk​/sites​/default​/files​/2021​-02​/Our​%20Prophetic​ %20Journey​%20Towards​%20Climate​%20Justice​.pdf, accessed 11/10/2021. Chuvieco, Emilio, Mario Burgui and Isabel Gallego-Álvarez. 2016. “Impacts of Religious Beliefs on Environmental Indicators: Is Christianity More Aggressive Than Other Religions?” Worldviews 20, 251–271. Cilliers, Jakkie. 2021. The Future of Africa Challenges and Opportunities. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. Collier, Paul, Gordon Conway and Tony Venables. 2008. “Climate Change and Africa,” Oxford Review of Economic Policy 24(2), 337–353. Conradie, Ernst M. 2010. “Climate Change and the Common Good: Some Reflections from the South African Context,” International Journal of Public Theology 4(3), 271–293. http://www.10.1080/13549839.2018.1449822 http://www.10.1080/23311886.2018.1487257 https://www.christianaid.org.uk https://www.christianaid.org.uk https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i1.6067 18  Ezra Chitando Conradie, Ernst M. and Hilda P. Koster. Eds. 2019. T & T Clark Handbook of Christian Theology and Climate Change. London: Bloomsbury. Dagnachew, Anteneh G. et al. 2021. Climate Change Measures and Sustainable Development Goals. The Hague: PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. Dube, Musa W. 2021. “Genesis 1: An Earth-Friendly Reading,” in Sydney Berman et al, eds., Mother Earth, Mother Africa and Biblical Studies Interpretations in the Context of Climate Change. Bamberg: University of Bamberg Press, 89–115. Etieyibo, Edwin. 2017. “Ubuntu and the Environment,” in Adeshina Afolayan and Toyin Falola, eds., the Palgrave Handbook of African Philosophy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 633–657. Gannon, Kate E. et al. 2021. “What role for multi-stakeholder partnerships in adaptation to climate change? Experiences from private sector adaptation in Kenya,” Climate Risk Management 32, 100319. Gaskin, Cadeyrn J. et al. 2017. “Factors Associated with the Climate Change Vulnerability and the Adaptive Capacity of People with Disability: A Systematic Review,” Weather, Climate and Society 9(4), 801–814. Gills, Barry and Jamie Morgan. 2020. “Global Climate Emergency: After COP24, Climate Science, Urgency, and the Threat to Humanity,” Globalizations 17(6), 885–902, DOI: 10.1080/14747731.2019.1669915 Godfrey, Samuel and Farai A. Tunhuma. 2020. The Climate Crisis: Climate Change Impacts, Trends and Vulnerabilities of Children in Sub Sahara Africa, United Nations Children’s Fund Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, Nairobi. Haberman, David L. Ed. 2021. Climate Change Through Religious Worlds. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. Hall, A. Cox. 2017. “Neo-monastics in North Carolina, De-growth and a Theology of Enough,” Journal of Political Ecology 24, 253–465. Hill, Alice C. 2021. The Fight for Climate after COVID-19. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Holden, William, Kathleen Nadeau and Emma Porio. 2017. Ecological Liberation Theology Faith-Based Approaches to Poverty and Climate Change in the Philippines. Cham: Springer. Hountondji, Paulin. 2009. “Knowledge of Africa, Knowledge by Africans: Two Perspectives on African Studies,” RCCS Annual Review 1, 121–131. IPCC. 2021. “Summary for Policymakers,” in: 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. Jenkins, Philip. 2021. Climate, Catastrophe, and Faith: How Changes in Climate Drive Religious Upheaval. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Jenkins, Willis, Evan Berry and Luke B. Kreider. 2018. “Religion and Climate Change,” Annual Review of Environment and Resources 43, 85–108. Kebaneilwe, Mampula D. 2015. “The Good creation: An Ecowomanist Reading of Gen 1-2,” Old Testament Essays 28(3), 694–703. Kanyoro, Musimbi R. A. and Mercy A. Oduyoye. 2006. “Introduction,” in Mercy A. Oduyoye and Musimbi R. A. Oduyoye, eds., The Will to Arise: Women, Tradition, and the Church in Africa. Pietermaritzburg: Cluster, 1–6. Kelbessa, Workineh. 2018. “Environmental Philosophy in African Traditions of Thought.” Environmental Ethics 40(4), 309–323. Kim, Grace Ji-Sun and Hilda Koster. Eds. 2017. Planetary Solidarity: Global Women’s Voices on Christian Doctrine and Climate Justice. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. http://www.10.1080/14747731.2019.1669915 Introduction  19 Liljeblad, Jonathan. 2019. “Introduction: Indigenous Voices and Indigenous Sacred Sites, Promoting Diverse Perspectives in a Global Discourse,” in Jonathan Liljeblad and Bas Verschuuren, eds., Indigenous Perspectives on Sacred Natural Sites: Culture, Governance and Conservation. London: Routledge, 1–11. Lisinge-Fotabong, Estherine et al. 2016. “Climate Diplomacy in Africa,” Policy Brief. Berlin: adelphi. Lukhele-Olorunju, Phindile and Calvin Gwandure. 2018. “Women and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Rural Subsistence Farming: The Case of Climate Change in Africa,” Africa Insight 47(4), 1–13. Mafongoya, Paramu et al. 2016. “The Role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Climate Change, Prediction, Adaptation and Mitigation in Sub-Saharan Africa,” In Ruby Magosvongwe, Obert B. Mlambo and Eventhough Ndlovu, eds., Africa’s Intangible Heritage and Land: Emerging Perspectives. Harare: University of Zimbabwe Publications, 30–51. Mafongoya, P.L. and Ajayi, O.C. (Eds), 2017. Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Climate Change Management in Africa. Wageningen, The Netherlands: CTA Manus, Chris U. and Des Obioma. 2015, “Preaching the ‘green gospel’ in Our Environment: A Re-reading of Genesis 1: 27–28 in the Nigerian Context,” HTS Teologiese Studies/ Theological Studies 72(4), a3054. DOI: 10.4102/hts.v72i4.3054 Martin, Edward J. 2003. “Liberation Theology, Sustainable Development, and Postmodern Public Administration,” Latin American Perspectives 30(131), 69–91. Marouan, Maha. 2015. “African Religious Systems in the Context of World Religions: Challenges for the American Scholars,” in Ibigbolade S. Aderibigbe and Carolyn M. Jones Medine, eds., Contemporary Perspectives on Religions in Africa and the African Diaspora. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 235–240. Masuzawa, Tomoko. 2005. The Invention of World Religions, Or, How European Universalism was Preserved in the Language of Pluralism. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Matholeni, Nobuntu P., Georgina K. Boateng and Molly Manyonganise. Eds. 2020. Mother Earth, Mother Africa and African Indigenous Religions. Cape Town: Sun Press. Mawere, Munyaradzi and Samuel Awuah-Nyamekye. Eds. 2015. Harnessing Cultural Capital for Sustainability. Bamenda, Cameroon: Langaa RPCIG. Minteer, Ben A. 2005. “An Appraisal of the Critique of Anthropocentrism and Three Lesser Known Themes in Lynn White’s ‘The Ecological Roots of Our Crisis,’” Organization and Environment 18(2), 163–176. Mukonyora, Isabel. 1999. “Women and Ecology in Shona Religion,” Word and World 19(3), 276–284. Mungai, Edward M., S. Wagura Ndirutu and Izael da Silva. 2021. “Unlocking Climate Finance Potential for Climate Adaptation: Case of Climate Smart Agricultural Financing in Sub Saharan Africa,” In Nicholas Oguge et al., eds., African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation. Cham: Springer, 2063–2083. Murithi, Tim. Ed. 2014. Handbook of Africa’s International Relations. London: Routledge. Murove, Munyaradzi F. 2009. “An African Environmental Ethic Based on the Concepts of Ukama and Ubuntu,” in Munyaradzi F. Murove, ed., African Ethics: An Anthology of Comparative and Applied Ethics. Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, 314–331. Murrey, Amber. Ed. 2018. A Certain Amount of Madness: The Life, Politics and Legacies of Thomas Sankara. London: Pluto Press. Mwale, Nelly. 2014. “African Traditional Religions in the Context of Climate Change: A Zambian Perspective,” Journal of Humanities 13, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v72i4.3054 20  Ezra Chitando Nche, George C. 2020. “Beyond Spiritual Focus: Climate Change Awareness, Role Perception, and Action among Church Leaders in Nigeria,” Water, Climate, and Society 12, 149–169. Nerini, Francesco F.et al. 2019. “Connecting Climate Action with other Sustainable Development Goals,” Nature Sustainability 2, 674–680. Nhemachena, Artwell and Munyaradzi Mawere. Eds. 2019. Necroclimatism in a Spectral World (Dis)order: Rain Petitioning, Climate and Weather Engineering in 21st Century Africa. Bamenda, Cameroon: Langaa RPCIG. Niang, I. et al. 2014. “Africa,” In V. R. Baross et al, eds., Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part B: Regional Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1199–1265. Ntreh, Benjamin A., Mark S. Aidoo and Daniel N. A. Arye. Eds. 2019. Essays on Land, Ecotheology, and Traditions in Africa. Eugene OR: Wipf and Stock. Nyadzi, Emmanuel, Oluyode C. Ajayi and Fulco Ludwig. 2021. “Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Change Adaptation in Africa: A Systematic Review,” CAB Reviews Perspectives in Agriculture Veterinary Science Nutrition and Natural Resources 16, 029. DOI: 10.1079/PAVSNNR202116029 Nyikahadzoi, Kefasi and Lindah Mhlanga. Eds. 2021. Climate Change Impact, Adaptation and Mitigation in Zimbabwe. Harare: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. Oguge, Nicholas et al. 2021. “Preface,” in Nicholas Oguge et al., eds., African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation. Cham: Springer, v–vi. Ogundayo, ’BioDun J. and Julius O. Adekunle. Eds. 2019. African Sacred Spaces: Culture, History, and Change. London: Lexington Books. Okyere, Kojo. 2011. “Bible, Ecology and Sustainable Development: A Reading of Genesis 1:1-2:4A,” Ilorin Journal of Religious Studies 1(2), 81–96. Ostheimer, Jochen and Julia Blanc. 2021. “Challenging the Levels: The Catholic Church as a Multi-Level Actor in the Transition to a Climate-Compatible Society,” Sustainability 13, 3770. DOI: 10.3390/su13073770 Peralta, Athena and Norman Tendis. Circa 2019. Roadmap for Congregations, Communities and Churches for an Economy of Life and Ecological Justice. Geneva: World Council of Churches. Peralta, Athena. Ed. 2021. Walk the Talk: A Toolkit to Accompany the “Roadmap for Congregations, Communities and Churches for an Economy of Life and Ecological Justice.” Geneva: World Council of Churches. Platvoet, Jan G. 1996. “The Religions of Africa in Their Historical Order.” In J. Platvoet, J. Cox and J. Olupona, eds., The Study of Religion in Africa: Past, Present and Prospects. Cambridge: Roots and Branches, 46–102. Puaschunder, Julia. 2020. Governance & Climate Justice Global South & Developing Nations. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. Religions for Peace. 2016. Resource Guide on Climate Change for Religious Communities. New York: Religions for Peace. Satgars, Vishwas. Ed. 2019. The Climate Crisis: South African and Global Democratic Eco- Socialist Alternatives. Johannesburg: Wits University Press. Shipalana, Palesa and Cynthia Chigwenya. 2021. “The Impact of COVID-19 on Climate Finance and Green Development.” Policy Briefing 233. South African Institute of International Affairs. Available at: https://media​.africaportal​.org​/documents​/Policy​ -Brieifng​-233​-shipalana​-chigwenya​.pdf, accessed 08/10/2021. Shumba, Overson. 2011. “Commons Thinking, Ecological Intelligence and the Ethical and Moral Framework of Ubuntu: An Imperative for Sustainable Development,” Journal of Media and Communication Studies 3(3), 84–96. http://www.10.1079/PAVSNNR202116029 https://media.africaportal.org https://media.africaportal.org https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073770 Introduction  21 Silvern, Steven E. and Edward H. Davis. Eds. 2021. Religion, Sustainability, and Place Moral Geographies of the Anthropocene. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan. Skah, Maha. 2020. Revisiting International Climate Negotiations from an African Perspective. Policy Paper. Policy Center for the New South. Soergel, Bjoern  et al.  2021. “A Sustainable Development Pathway for Climate Action within the UN 2030 Agenda,” Nature Climate Change 11, 656–664. Songwe, Vera. 2019. “Realizing a Climate-Resilient and Prosperous Africa,” UN Chronicle. 19 September. Available at: https://www​.un​.org​/en​/un​-chronicle​/realizing​-climate​ -resilient​-and​-prosperous​-africa, accessed 13 October 2021. Steady, Filomena C. 2014. “Women, Climate Change and Liberation in Africa,” Race, Gender and Class 21(1/2), 312–333. Tandon, Ayesha. 2021. “Analysis: The Lack of Diversity in Climate-science Research,” CarbonBrief 6 October. Available at: https://www​.carbonbrief​.org​/analysis​-the​-lack​-of​ -diversity​-in​-climate​-science​-research, accessed 07 October 2021. Taringa, Nisbert T. 2006. “How Environmental is African Traditional Religion?” Exchange 35(2), 181–214. Taringa, Nisbert T. 2014. Towards an African-Christian Environmental Ethic. Bamberg: University of Bamberg Press. Tarusarira, Joram. 2017. “African Religion, Climate Change, and Knowledge Systems,” The Ecumenical Review 69(3), 398–410. Tarusarira, Joram. 2021. “The Grass versus the People: Sacred Roots of Environmental Conflict in the Chilonga Communal Lands in Zimbabwe,” Zeitschrift für Religion, Gesellschaft und Politik. https://doi​.org​/10​.1007​/s41682​-021​-00090-0 Terreblanche, Christelle. 2018. “Ubuntu and the Struggle for an African Eco-Socialist Alternative,” in Vishwas Satgar, ed., The Climate Crisis: South African and Global Democratic Eco-Socialist Alternatives. Johannesburg: Wits University Press, 168–189. Tosam, Mbih J. 2019. “African Environmental Ethics and Sustainable Development,” Open Journal of Philosophy 9, 172–192. Tyson, Paul. 2021. Theology and Climate Change. London: Routledge. Van Klinken,  Adriaan. 2021. “Wangari Maathai’s Environmental Bible as an African Knowledge: Eco-spirituality, Christianity, and Decolonial Thought,”  Eastern African Literary and Cultural Studies. DOI: 10.1080/23277408.2021.1922129 Veldman, Robin G., Andrew Szasz and Randolf Haluza-DeLay. Eds. 2014. How the World’s Religions are Responding to Climate Change: Social Scientific Investigations. New York: Routledge. Villa-Vicencio, Charles. 2009. Walk with Us and Listen: Political Reconciliation in Africa. Cape Town: University of Cape Town Press. Welborn, Lily. 2018. Africa and Climate Change: Projecting Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity. Africa Report 14. Pretoria: Institute of Security Studies. Werner, Dietrich. 2020. “The Challenge of Environment and Climate Justice: Imperatives of an Eco-Theological Reformation of Christianity,” in Philipp Öhlmann, Wilhelm Gräb, and Marie-Luise Frost, eds., African Initiated Christianity and the Decolonisation of Development Sustainable Development in Pentecostal and Independent Churches. London: Routledge, 51–72. Werner, Dietrich and Elisabeth Jeglitzka. Eds. 2015. Eco-Theology, Climate Justice and Food Security Theological Education and Christian Leadership Development. Geneva: Globethics​ .net​. White, Lyn Jr. 1967. “The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis,” Science 155(3767), 1203–1207. https://www.un.org https://www.un.org https://www.carbonbrief.org https://www.carbonbrief.org https://doi.org/10.1007/s41682-021-00090-0 https://doi.org/10.1080/23277408.2021.1922129 1 Introduction Climate change is the greatest challenge the world is facing today. Mainly due to increasing population and fossil fuel, it manifests in increasing global tem- peratures, rising sea levels, storm surges, recurrent floods, persistent droughts, heat waves, and infectious diseases. Such a problem calls for urgent atten- tion. In Zimbabwe, climate change is real and the search for more sustainable mitigation strategies has become mandatory. The option of traditional religious practices and values has not been adequately explored. This chapter argues that African Traditional Religion (ATR) makes a valuable contribution towards mitigating effects of climate change in Zimbabwe. It does so by examining the Karanga, a subgroup of the Shona ethnic group’s traditional worldview, and modes of preservation of nature such as indigenous knowledge system, taboos, rituals, and agricultural methods in mitigating climate change. It concludes that ATR is a vital cog in addressing the challenges of climate change, laying the foundation for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on climate action, namely, SDG 13. Background and context Climate change is one of the biggest crises facing humanity. Scholars define the phenomenon as a significant and long-lasting change in the earth’s climate and weather patterns, especially, in current use: such change associated with global warming (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 1828). It can also be explained as a shift in worldwide weather phenomena associated with an increase in global average temperatures (Wired 2018:1). The matter of climate change has been tacked at the global level, such as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio-de Janeiro, 1992 (Haff and Lombardi 2009:129). UNCED gave birth to a number of international instru- ments that continue to provide the framework for sustainable development, including the groundbreaking Agenda 21, which offered a practical approach to applying sustainable development policies at the local and national level (see Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future. 2016), and the Rio Declaration Tabona Shoko African Traditional Religion, climate change African Traditional Religion and climate change Perspectives from Zimbabwe Tabona Shoko 1 DOI:  10.4324/9781003147909-2 10.4324/9781003147909-2 https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003147909-2 African Traditional Religion, climate change  23 African Traditional Religion, climate change on Environment and Development (Sustainable Development in the 21st cen- tury (SD21). The African Union (AU) developed a Draft Strategy on Climate Change, 2020-2030 (2017). Keith Wade and Macus Jennings (2015) observed that many developing nations are situated in low-latitude countries, and it is estimated that 80% of the damage from climate change may be concentrated in these areas. Zimbabwe in Southern Africa has been gripped by the devastating effects of climate change. Chikuvire (2020:11) asserts that Zimbabwe is located in a semi-arid region having limited and unreliable rainfall patterns and variation in temperatures. He notes that extreme weather conditions like drought and cyclones have increased in frequency, such as those in 2002, 2008, 2015, and 2018. Some features of climate change include delay in the onset of the rainy season, pro- longed dry spells, very cold winter seasons, and extreme hot spring and sum- mers seasons. Also, the rapid rise in the world’s population and ever-growing dependence on fossil fuel-based model of production have played a consider- able role in climate change, a matter which calls for players to come together and try to solve these global challenges. African Traditional Religion is not an exception. For a long time, the African traditional religio-cultural mechanisms of curbing climate change have gone unrecognized. In Zimbabwe, climate change is real and the search for more sustainable cli- mate change mitigation strategies has become indispensable. The option of tra- ditional religious practices and values in this regard has not been given adequate attention. This chapter explores how African Traditional Religion (ATR) has coped with climate change in the Mberengwa district in Zimbabwe. The dis- trict lies in the country’s ecological Region 5 and experiences erratic rainfall and frequent drought (Zacchrison 1978:10). This chapter argues that ATR makes a valuable contribution towards mitigating the effects of climate change in Zimbabwe. In order to understand how the local people grapple with cli- mate change, this chapter starts by explaining the Karanga traditional religious worldviews. Then it examines the indigenous knowledge systems, beliefs, and practices related to the land, preservation of nature, taboos, traditional rituals, hunting, and agricultural methods in mitigating climate change. However, it also examines negative traits against mitigating climate change. The chapter concludes that traditional beliefs and practices constitute a fundamental com- ponent in mitigating climate change in Zimbabwe. Brief literature review, theoretical framework, and method A number of scholars have addressed the subject of global warming. David Waugh et al. (2009) studied global warming and climate change. The studies concluded that globally the climate is changing and is accompanied by adverse climatic conditions such as droughts, floods, and other unprecedented climatic conditions. H.E. Harf and M.A. Lombardi (2009) grappled with the water crisis triggered by climate change. In the process, the study ventures into the effec- tiveness of Shona Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the preservation of water. 24  Tabona Shoko In Zimbabwe, some scholars published on ATR and climate change. M.L. Daneel (1998) contributed to the significance of the Shona indigenous trees, and N.T. Taringa (2006) dealt with African Traditional Ecology. Ecumenical perspectives are dominated by Chitando (2017), who examined the role of religious leaders in response to climate change; Tarusarira (2017) dealt with African religion, climate change, and knowledge systems; and Sibanda (2017) focused on Rastafarian perspectives on praying for rain. Notably, such studies offer important insights on this chapter on Karanga perspectives in Mberengwa district. The chapter is grounded on theoretical frame by Onah Nkechi, Ali Alphonsus, and Eze Ekenedilichukwu (2016:299)’s reflection that some useful African traditional religious values and practices, such as respect for the land divinity and maintenance of sacred groves and forest, among others, offer good and alternative strategies for climate change mitigation. The chapter applies the theory amongst the Karanga of Mberengwa district in Zimbabwe in arguing for a case of mitigating climate change. It is based on empirical research that utilizes qualitative methods of data collection through interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and observations in Mberengwa district. Traditional worldview In the Karanga religion, like other African societies, the universe is created by Mwari (God), who is made up of two interacting worlds, namely the spiritual or invisible world and the physical world or visible world (Shoko 2007:33). A scholar of religion, Metuh (1987:54) posits that the spiritual world or invisible world is made up of ontological beings such as the Supreme Being, divinities, deities, spirits, and ancestors. The sun, moon, stars, and clouds are closely related to the sacred world. Rain is believed to be a manifestation of the supreme spirit. Mwari produces the rain that fertilizes the earth, and life begins. The physical world comprises the earth populated by human beings, animals, birds, reptiles, and other animate and inanimate things such as land, rivers, seas, for- ests, mountains, grass, among others. This shows the Karanga belief that God is transcendent as well as immanent. Mountains such as Buchwa and Imbahuru in Mberengwa are hierophanies frequented for sacrifices and fasting (Shoko 2008: 138). This dualistic view of the universe means that the tiers are intricately connected. The religious cosmology is seen as created by the Supreme Being, who continues to procreate. Communication is through prayer requests, bless- ings, petitions, and complaints. The universe is anthropocentric. As Mawewe (2020:10) states, human beings are supposed to live in harmony with each other but also with their environment because it is part of life. Chemhuru and Masaka (2010: 122) surmise, in order to achieve this harmony, African fash- ioned beliefs, practices, and taboos couched in religious tapestry to be adhered to by all members of the community. Hence, there are imitable laws, customs, and sanctions to guide human actions in relation to the environment. Such conservative and preservation mechanisms could be harnessed in mitigating African Traditional Religion, climate change  25 climate change and protecting the environment. As such, the Karanga perceive climate change through a religious prism which enables some interventions or strategies to provide effective responses to climate change. Indigenous knowledge Indigenous knowledge has been realized in the design and implementation of sustainable development projects, but little has been done to incorporate this into formal climate change adaptation strategies. D.M. Warren (1991:1) defines indigenous knowledge as institutionalized local knowledge that has been built upon and passed from one generation to the other by word of mouth. In its broad sense it includes a social, political, economic, and spiritual dimension of a local way of life (Emery 1996:165). It is the basis for local-level decision- making in many rural communities, including the Mberengwa district. The people integrate indigenous knowledge into climate change policies through some strategies that include the adoption of early maturing crops, drought- resistant crops, and selective keeping of livestock where rainfall has declined (Chikuvire 2020: 15). The Karanga cope with risks due to excessive or low rainfall, drought, and crop failure. They produce crop varieties with different susceptibility to drought and floods, supplementing these by hunting, fishing, and gathering wild fruits and plants. Further, indigenous knowledge comple- ments modern scientific knowledge into climate change. As such, people in Mberengwa put significance on the local environment and how to manage local resources. Besides, there are natural phenomena such as water, moun- tains, rivers, forests, trees, and rituals which the people accord respect and help preserve the environment. Respect for the environment The Karanga beliefs and practices make indigenes place value on their envi- ronment since God cannot be removed from it. The understanding is that everything that belongs to the ecosystem and the environment is profoundly religious, and many things on earth are held in high esteem for religious rea- sons, especially when they are thought to be dwelling places of the spirits (Gelfand 1979:63). This resonates with John S. Mbiti’s argument of religion as being a ubiquitous element of African culture, such that it “colours their [African peoples] understanding of the universe … making life a profoundly religious experience” (1969: 4). As Mawewe (2020: 17) puts it, in Africa therefore, respect for the environment is believed to be divinely ordered, for humans in Africa cannot be disassociated from his/her creatures. Human being is supposed to live in harmony with things in his/her environment because the environment is part of life. Hence, there are imitable laws, customs, and sanctions to guide human actions in relation to the environment. The Karanga in the area under study observe Wednesdays as chisi (holiday), the day people should rest in honour of their ancestors. Failure to observe such a holiday can 26  Tabona Shoko cause drought, plague, pestilence, and misfortune. Any violation attracts pen- alty in the form of a goat payable to the chief, the guardians of the land. The fear is that violation of such taboos results in misfortune, sickness, and death (Shoko 2007: 35–36). ATR is very close to nature and has created eco-friendly structures, practices, and sanctions that are of enormous benefit in protecting the environment. Such conservative and preservation mechanisms, including adapted versions, could be harnessed in mitigating climate change and pro- tecting the environment. This plays a major role in the context of seeking to achieve SDG 13 on climate action. The importance of the land In Zimbabwe, the relationship between religion, land, and the people has always been close. In the traditional past, the land has been intimately associated with the history of the chiefdom, with the ruling chief and with ancestral spirits who live in it. Such prominent chiefs like Mataruse, Negove, Nyamhondo, Mataka, Mapiravana, Mposi, Mazibofa, and Bangwe, amongst others, are respected in Mberengwa. As such, the land upon which they occupy is sacred. The village headman is the principal head of the family. He performs several duties in the community. He ensures the sustenance of people in the community. He allo- cates and distributes land amongst the people. The land is of paramount impor- tance. It is never considered an individual property but a collective unity. The whole village has the right to use the land. The village headman is also respon- sible for conducting religious rituals that yield rain and good crops (Shoko 2007: 9). Such actions as incest, stealing, homicide, and adultery are avoided by the people because the earth can be desecrated. The ancestors inflict the people with punishment such as drought, famine, and pestilence (Arinze 1970:23). This is because it is believed that the action of an individual could affect mem- bers of the community. Mbiti (1969:338) underscores the importance of the community through his adage, “I am because we are.” Overall, the fundamen- tal attitude to land is a religious one among the Karanga. This respect for land and taboos against errant people help curb land degradation and reinforces its preservation, which is crucial to mitigating climate change. Totems The totemic system exists and is functional amongst the Karanga. The totems are an object (such as an animal or a bird) serving as the emblem of a family or clan and often as a reminder of its ancestry. The Karanga term for totem is mutupo. Each Karanga subgroup has its own totem and taboos involving restrictions towards particular animals or birds such as Shoko (monkey), Shiri (bird), Shumba (lion), Zhou (elephant), Dube (zebra), Muu (hippo), Hove (fish), Mheta (water-python), Garwe (crocodile), Hungwe (fish-eagle), and Njenje (por- cupine). Animal parts such as Moyo (heart) and Gumbo (Leg) are considered totems. The totems are believed to have links with the ancestral world. A African Traditional Religion, climate change  27 religious studies scholar, Nisbert T. Taringa (2015:209) posits that totemic ani- mals are found mainly among wild animals with special qualities. Even though animals constitute food for humans, these totemic animals are not meant to be killed for any purpose, not even for food and sacrifice, because they are sacred for specific clans. The people recognize that spirits operate in the human world through animals, birds, and fish. The animals are related to aquatic life and are associated with the beginning of the Karanga progenitors of Dzivaguru (the great pool). As such, Dziva (the pool) is also a totem. As can be noted, these totemic aquatic animals are considered to be sacred by the Karanga subgroup of that totem. Much respect and value are also given to water bodies where these animals live. This explains their propensity to the preservation of these water bodies, a fact which goes a long way into mitigation of climate change. Sacred water The Karanga hold beliefs that some phenomena such as water are sacred. The people believe in sacred cosmogonic myths, such as the Guruuswa myth, which explains the origins of human beings under the creative hand of Mwari, the Supreme God. The deity is believed to have migrated from Lake Tanganyika to Great Zimbabwe but eventually settled at Matopo Hills in Matonjeni. Mwari is the personal name for God in Mberengwa. The term refers to a God of fertil- ity who is associated with rain. God is described with other praise names such as Musikavanhu (Creator of Humans), Nyadenga (Owner of the sky), Wedenga (owner of the sky), Muumbi (Moulder), and Dziva (Pool), amongst others (Daneel 1970: 15). Matonjeni is significant in that when people in Mberengwa are faced with drought, they send emissaries (nyusa) to Zame or Matonjeni to petition for rain. But some chiefs in Mberengwa have established the Mwari cult at certain places in their areas. The Romwe people under chief Chingoma and the Pfumbi people established a cult at Imbahuru hill near Mataga. In times of drought, the neighbouring Karanga chiefs consult the local cult instead of Matonjeni. Both chiefs belong to the totem Dziva (pool). The Karanga use the totem Dziva (pool) or Dzivaguru (big pool) and also chidzivachepo (perenial pool) as the descriptive names for God (Shoko 2007: 35). T.O. Ranger (1999: 23), a historian, asserts that Matonjeni was called the Stone of Pools (Mabwe a Dziva) from which rain comes. For Ranger, peren- nial pools were identified with the uterus amniotic fluid from women and thus life. When people pr