Indigenous Knowledge in Conservation of Forestry and Land Resources in Musana Communal Areas, Bindura

This paper assesses the role of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) in sustainable utilisation of resources in Musana communal area, Zimbabwe. Observations, questionnaires, interviews and focused group discussions were used for data collection. The research revealed that forests were used for wood fuel, fruit, mushroom, timber, medicine and performing rituals while land was used for crop cultivation, market gardening and pasture. Traditional leaders in the community upheld traditional values and used them in resource exploitation. IK was key in imparting environmental education to the young and newcomers, the newly married and newly recruited teachers at the schools within the community, to enhance sustainable resource exploitation Conservation measures, based on both IK and modern practice, were employed in the area. However, some conflicts ensued between IK based and modern conservation practices. Harmonising traditional and modern ways of resource exploitation would be a way of resolving the conflicts and enhancing sustainable resource utilisatio