Table 1 Common indigenous environmental... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1

Common indigenous environmental indicators and their meanings in Mossuril district

Indicator/Sign	Observed change	Local Interpretation/Meaning	Typical community response	No. of mentions (n = 24)
Sea behaviour	Unusually calm or excessively warm sea surface	An imminent cyclone or strong winds are expected	Fishermen halt trips; families secure houses	21
Wind direction	Sudden shift from southeast to north	Storm approaching within days	Coastal activities reduced; elders alert villagers	18
Bird migration	Birds flying inland in large numbers	Heavy rains or coastal storms	Livestock moved to higher ground	15
Ant movement	Ants relocating nests upward	Flood likely	Crops and tools were moved to raised storage	12
Cloud formation	Low-hanging, fast-moving clouds from the east	Cyclone forming offshore	Preparations for evacuation begin	20
Fish behaviour	Fish swimming erratically or disappearing near shore	Sea turbulence signalling a storm	Fishing suspended	15

Indicator/Sign	Observed change	Local Interpretation/Meaning	Typical community response	No. of mentions (n = 24)
Sea behaviour	Unusually calm or excessively warm sea surface	An imminent cyclone or strong winds are expected	Fishermen halt trips; families secure houses	21
Wind direction	Sudden shift from southeast to north	Storm approaching within days	Coastal activities reduced; elders alert villagers	18
Bird migration	Birds flying inland in large numbers	Heavy rains or coastal storms	Livestock moved to higher ground	15
Ant movement	Ants relocating nests upward	Flood likely	Crops and tools were moved to raised storage	12
Cloud formation	Low-hanging, fast-moving clouds from the east	Cyclone forming offshore	Preparations for evacuation begin	20
Fish behaviour	Fish swimming erratically or disappearing near shore	Sea turbulence signalling a storm	Fishing suspended	15

Source(s): Authors’ own work (2026)