Indigenous Knowledge
Medicinal Plants
Sensors and Internet of Things
Tracking Biodiversity Degradation
Artificial Intelligence

Agriculture
Anthropology and ethnology
Crop Production
Infectious Diseases
Meteorology

The degradation of biodiversity remains a critical environmental challenge, impeding progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Mani, Osborne, & Cleaver, 2021). The decline in biodiversity, exacerbated by climate change and land-use changes (Kumar et al., 2021; Mugwedi, 2017), necessitates innovative conservation strategies. The increasing demand for medicinal products derived from indigenous plants presents an opportunity to develop advanced techniques to safeguard their biodiversity (Nwafor et al., 2021).
This study proposes integrating Indigenous Knowledge (IK) with advanced Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)—including drones, wireless sensor networks, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Machine Learning (ML)—to monitor biodiversity degradation in medicinal plants in the Free State Province, South Africa. The research will build upon previous studies that have successfully integrated modern and indigenous approaches for environmental monitoring, such as Masinde and Bagula’s (2014) drought early warning system, Masinde et. al (2013) weather monitoring systems, and Nyetanyange and Masinde’s (2020) optimisation of cropping decisions using IK, climate data, and ML.
The proposed system aims to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and cutting-edge technology, contributing to biodiversity conservation efforts by developing and evaluating an integrated approach that enhances the sustainability of medicinal plants.

indigenous knowledge, biodiversity degradation, artificial intelligence, drones, internet of things, sensors, south africa, climate change, policy on medicinal plants, indigenous communities

-