Traditional knowledge complexity and climate change resilience: a case study of natural rainfall indicators of the Lacandon Maya

Many traditional societies forecast weather using observations of phenological changes. In Lacanja Chansayab, Chiapas, Mexico, Indigenous farmers use animal behavior, plant flowering, and solar and lunar halos, to predict rainfall. These indicators were observed and weather patterns were measured in Lacanja Chansayab. Interviews with Lacandon Maya revealed a diverse system of indicators that overlapped with systems used by other cultures. Due to indicator diversity, it is possible that this traditional system will remain useful as climate change alters local weather; cultural knowledge is nonetheless threatened by societal and economic changes.