In Zambia, most rural settlements are often characterised by vulnerability and poverty. This is because most rural settlers do not have gainful employment. Their main income-earning activities through which they survive are agriculture, keeping livestock, charcoal burning and fishing. The effects of these activities are land degradation and ground water pollution among others. In response to the mentioned effects, this essay will discuss the effectiveness of integrating the practices two systems or bodies of knowledge namely indigenous knowledge system (IKS) and modern Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in reducing these impacts. The first two paragraphs will define key terms in the question. Warren (1991) defines Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) as a structure of local knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. It is the information base for a society, which facilitates communication and decision making. Steiner (2008) noted that this knowledge is the sum of facts that are known or learned from experience or acquired through observation and study and handed down from generation to generation. Modern Environmental Management Systems (EMS) refers to practical ways for serving land, water, energy, and other materials. It stresses on development of new strategies to control environmental problems in a systematic way through scientific research and inquiry (McCormick, 2001). Indigenous knowledge systems have preserved and conserved some segments of the environment in rural settlements of Zambia for years. Indigenous knowledge include traditional beliefs, cultural mores and practices that have used in conserving and protecting the environment (Ngara, 2013). This system of knowledge has been there before and after Zambia’s independence. It is knowledge that is passed from generation to generation and has preserved and conserved environment. For example, Tonga people of Southern province, Lankcaster and Vickery (2007) points out to be the first Bantu-speaking people to live in Zambia, have lived sustainably within their biophysical environment for many years. Through IKS, Tonga people are currently in forefront spearheading the concept of ‘going back to Eden,’ the phrase which entails running to herbal medicine for most of their health problems (Kaoma 2010). IKS is composed of beliefs, taboos, stories, proverbs as well as myths. Example of a belief prevalent in many rural settlements of Zambia is that of not cutting fruit trees for charcoal burning or fire wood as they believed to produce poisonous smoke. This belief preserves fruit trees as sources of food and as money earner through fruit sales and serve as shades to people during the resting intervals as they work in their fields (Kanene, 2016). He adds that some plant species are believed to instigate family conflicts when used as firewood. This body of knowledge has been preventing land degradation partially because species of trees that do not produce fruits may be considered to have no value to them. Ngara (2013) agrees with this claim by stating that the value of a tree to provide some food benefit is a significant motivation for people to conserve it. Thus Chacon (2012) and Krech (2005) conclude that the existence of traditional beliefs/taboos does not guarantee sustainable harvest of natural resources. In other words, this knowledge alone cannot curb land degradation and ground water pollution effectively. On the other hand, modern environmental management systems are drawn much from western science in solving environmental problems. These systems are seen to be open, systematic and objective, depend very much on science and technology and in solving environmental problems. In addition, modern EMS primary involve legal acts which requires people to abide in order to curb pollution and land degradation. With respect to land degradation, Zambia is aligned to a number of laws and treaties which aims at reducing land degradation. The Lands Act of 1999 and other treaties signed by the country are some of the laws and treaties used to control human impacts on land. However despite the laws, treaties and agreements the country try to enforce, high levels of land degradation are still seen to deteriorate (Government of the Republic of Zambia, 2011). This is because of illegal acts such as, small scale quarry, poor agricultural methods and general over dependence on the environment for survival. The major challenge of actively enforcing the laws to refrain people from being involved in these acts resides in indirect causers. These include factors such as, high poverty levels in the country. Thus application of environmental laws to address the problem of land degradation and ground water pollution seems to be a challenge (Environmental Council of Zambia, 2001). From what has been discussed so far, it can be noted that IKS and modern EMS are different bodies of knowledge and have different approaches and strategies in solving environmental problems. Therefore blending the two systems can be an effective and excellent solution to dealing with land degradation and ground water pollution in Zambia’s rural settlement. This can strengthen the weakness of limitation of both systems. Mitchel (1995) argues that the effectiveness of combining IKS and modern EMS in curbing the problem come in the sense that, indigenous knowledge best works in contexts of poor communities than western knowledge, while as, the modern systems will provide the best possible systematic, rational and objective ways of dealing with the problem Therefore the integration of the two systems of knowledge can effectively reduce the magnitude of the mentioned effects. Thrupp, (1998) indicate that blending indigenous knowledge and modern environmental management systems can bring about local empowerment and development. Rural settlers can feel empowered if their local knowledge is valued. As a result, this can effectively reduce land degradation and ground water pollution in Zambia’s rural settlements. The two systems of knowledge can be very effective especially that scientists now recognise that indigenous people have managed some parts of the environments in which they have lived for generations, without causing a lot of damaging local ecologies (Emery, 1996). Furthermore, Thrupp (2008) argues that incorporating IKS with the modern EMS can decrease land degradation and ground water pollution by bringing about legality in the eyes of both rural people (settlers) and modern environmental managers. Steiner (2008) shares the similar view as he recommended that the effectiveness of the integration of IKS and modern EMS, resides in the enactment of appropriate laws to protected intellectual property in indigenous knowledge. Using IKS, some pieces of land and rivers in Zambia’s rural settlement are considered sacred. Langil, (1999) indicate that tempering with sacred forests, taboos and totems has penalty to the offender such as illness, death, drought and disappearance. Cox (1992) supplements that sacred places were respected since failure to do so would bring calamity. One of the perfect examples of a sacred place identified by Chiwandamira (2000) is a gravesite. This is the place where the dead are buried. Plants and grass around these sites were not to be cut or burnt. Kanene (2015) also state that water sources are considered as sacred and no one is to wash or defecate near them. Water sources are perceived as habitats for gods. Therefore, combining IKS and modern EMS can strengthen strategies and approaches used to reduce land degradation and ground water pollution. Furbee and Sandor (1996) viewed indigenous knowledge systems to be a science that is user-derived, not scientifically derived, and its use complements and enhances the gains made by modern-day innovations. Thus the integration can become the basis for curbing these problems in Zambia’s rural settlements. IKS is said to have rules connected to pastoralism, agriculture, water management and the gathering of wild food; classification systems for plants, animals, soils, water and empirical knowledge about flora, fauna and their practical uses (Emery, 1996). By adhering to these rules, some water sources have been kept clean and protected thereby reducing ground water pollution in Zambia’s rural settlement. Through IKS there are certain beliefs, cultural mores and taboos associated to water sources that prevent local people from practicing ‘open defecation’ which is one of the causers of ground water pollution. This can be backed up by modern EMS ways of addressing the issue through provision of new toilet facilities that will reduce on the problem. This integrated approach can be an effective way of addressing the problem and appropriate for parties involved (Mapara, 2009). They say, ‘one finger cannot pick lice from one’s head.’ In this case, it means one system of knowledge cannot effectively solve the problem of land degradation and ground water pollution in Zambia’s rural settlement. Hence by combining IKS into modern EMS, there could be a genuine partnership regarding scientific and indigenous knowledge in solving environmental problems. With respect to reducing land degradation, shifting cultivation is practiced by most people in the rural settlement of Zambia. Burger (1990) argues that this practice gives enough time for the soil to regain its fertility. For example, the Central statistics (2016) shows that Tonga people are the chief producers of Zambia’s core food crops. Kanene (2015) observed that these people have been applying environmentally friendly practices such as crop rotation and intercropping as the basis for sustaining their soil and maintain the viability of the land for nutrient availability. The combination of the two systems of knowledge will mean reducing on the use of artificial fertilizers which can cause ground water pollution and adopt the farming system that local people have. More over practices such as intercropping does not only conserve soil and increase yield. Chapungu (2000) posits that this practice (intercropping) can reduce pest damage by eighty percent (80%). Other effectiveness of combining IKS and MEMS is that, many young of modern generation will be informed and encouraged on adopting IKS on environmental issues because of having some legal and environmental education aspects in the system. In fact O’Donoghue, Masuku and Janse van Rensburg and Ward (1999) argue that environmental education provides a vehicle to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge Systems into the school curriculum. Through education, people are able to acquire the integrated knowledge and change their behavior towards reducing these effects. In addition, integration of indigenous knowledge and modern systems of knowledge will also provide mechanisms to support mutual learning on ground water pollution in the affected communities. For example, communities affected by ground water ground pollution can systematically and critically evaluate both indigenous and scientific knowledge about ground water pollution indicators, using participatory decision-support tools such as multi-attribute evaluation (Miller, 2008). Another aspect that indicates the effectiveness of the integrated body of knowledge in curbing ground water pollution and land degradation in Zambia’s rural settlements include; identifying pollution sources, define groundwater protection areas and enforce sustainable use of resources reduce open defecation and increase the number of use of pit latrines (McGranahan and Mulenga, 2010). With regards to land degradation, most of Zambia’s rural settlements are caused by a wide of things and practices. Some the practices include charcoal burning as indicated in the introduction, and grazing of land by the livestock and poor farming methods. This can be reduced by combining IKS and modern EMS. Corell (1999) posits that science has played a key role in providing large-scale responses to land degradation. In order to strengthen the on the limitations that modern environmental system have in curbing land degradation and ground water pollution, it is essential to in merge it with indigenous knowledge. This can allow for participation of settlers people who cause and are affected by the problem, and sustainably contributing to curbing the issue. In conclusion, rural settlers are faced with many environmental challenges among them is land degradation and ground water pollution. These come as a result of their activities on the environment used to sustain their living. To curb these effects, combining IKS and modern EMS practices can play an effective role. The knowledge and management strategies of two systems of knowledge are able to constrain and compensate for each other in situations where one system may not be effective in solving the problem. Indigenous knowledge will use local knowledge to play a role finding solutions of curbing the problems. On the other hand modern environmental management will bring in other strategies and practices that may not be developed through use of indigenous knowledge.

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