10:15 AM - 10:30 AM
[AHW21-06] Local knowledge: A comprehensive agricultural system and incremental drought adaptation strategy for Javanese society
Keywords:Pranata Mangsa, Local and scientific knowledge, LINKS method, Community ressiliences
Local knowledge can be defined as a person’s ability to use his/her understanding and senses to respond to an event, object, or situation in the local environment. We reevaluate Pranata Mangsa as a form of local knowledge that can aid in adapting to drought. Pranata Mangsa is used on the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali, particularly by farmers, for managing agricultural activities in fields and is based on Titen, i.e., the observation of natural signs. The relationships between natural signs and farming activities are arranged in four primary and twelve secondary Mangsa, or seasons. Each Mangsa is characterized by activities such as Bero (maintaining fallow land) and burning rice straw, which reduce the loss of crops from meteorological drought and soil moisture deficits caused by agricultural drought. These practices suggest the potential for applying local knowledge to drought adaptation and indicate that a revaluation of the local knowledge of Pranata Mangsa with its specific characteristics could provide an effective strategy for adapting to drought and meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This study integrated local knowledge (Pranata Mangsa) in Jawa, Indonesia, with scientific data on diurnal rainfall, extreme precipitation events, using the Local and Indigenous Knowledge System (LINKS). The results showed that Pranata Mangsa has informed aspects of agriculture including crop calendars, crop patterns, and farming activities, for over 1000 years in Jawa. Pranata Mangsa also enhances community resilience by mitigating the effects of extreme droughts; this finding was validated using scientific data.