Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Utilizing Indigenous Knowledge and Food Security: An Ethnographic Study in Pariangan Village, West Sumatra

Authors

  • Dewi Rahmadani Siregar Doctoral Program of Environmental Science, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia
  • Eri Barlian Doctoral Program of Environmental Science, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia
  • Abdul Razak Department of Biology, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia
  • Ikmanisa Khairati Science Education Doctoral Program, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia
  • Defiani Dwiyanti Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Politeknik Kesehatan Kemenkes Padang, Padang, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53560/PPASB(63-3)1134

Keywords:

Climate Change Adaptation, Local Wisdom, Minangkabau Culture, Mixed Garden Agroforestry, Paddy Irrigation, Rural Food Security

Abstract

This study investigates how the Minangkabau community specifically in Pariangan Village adapts agricultural activities to climate variability based on traditional knowledge. This includes the utilization of religious beliefs, the interpretation of natural signs, and intergenerational informal practices. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork involving interviews with 31 participants (each with a minimum of five years of farming experience) and supplemented by climatological data from Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in 2020–2025, this research identifies significant disruptions to seasonal patterns. Consequently, the community has developed adaptation strategies, including village granaries (lumbung nagari), paddy irrigation distribution systems, mixed-garden agroforestry (parak system), mutual cooperation (gotong royong), and belief-based rituals. Thematic analysis, supported by NVivo software, reveals that environmental changes are frequently interpreted through moral and cosmological frameworks. Despite the efficacy of these practices, local mechanisms remain largely disconnected from broader development frameworks. To mitigate climate variability and strengthen food security, policymakers must formalize and integrate community-based environmental knowledge into broader climate change adaptation policies and regional development planning. Simultaneously, the general public and farming communities are encouraged to adopt adaptive, climate-smart agricultural practices and actively utilize scientific weather forecasting alongside local knowledge to build long-term environmental resilience.

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Published

2026-09-22

How to Cite

Dewi Rahmadani Siregar, Eri Barlian, Abdul Razak, Ikmanisa Khairati, & Defiani Dwiyanti. (2026). Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Utilizing Indigenous Knowledge and Food Security: An Ethnographic Study in Pariangan Village, West Sumatra. Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: B. Life and Environmental Sciences, 63(3). https://doi.org/10.53560/PPASB(63-3)1134

Issue

Vol. 63 No. 3 (2026)

Section

Research Articles

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