When Maasai wisdom meets modern science

For Maasai elder Alais Ole Morindat, the survival of his community rests on three closely connected pillars: natural resources, livestock and society. The elder from Arusha Region’s Monduli District in Tanzania says that when researchers ignore how these pillars interlock, they fail to see that fighting poverty without addressing climate change is a futile endeavour. It is this knowledge that the Aga Khan University Arusha Climate and Environmental Research Centre (AKU-ACER) is seeking to integrate with modern science. AKU-ACER's approach does not suggest that traditional knowledge should replace modern science. Instead, it seeks to make the two work together.