Most African communities, despite their geographical peculiarities, have ben distinguished for their rich heritage resources. These traditional African communities have their identities and value systems built around these heritage resources, especially cultural heritage resources. They have scintillating cultural heritage resources that have given them a relatively comparative advantage over many other communities from Europe, American, Asia, etc, in the global tourism market and discourse [1]. Some previous studies have noted that many of these rural African communities have leveraged on their indigenous culture heritage resources for socio-economic development and other self-need initiatives that stimulate rural developments and self-economic reliance within their environment [2]. These have over five years motivated studies to identify, harness and examine the opportunities of many other cultural heritage resources in traditional African communities for socioeconomic development through tourism promotion. These ranges from unique traditional dance, masquerade system, indigenous festivals, traditional ceremonies, folklores, myths, belief systems, traditional dishes, tradition attires, rituals, traditional songs and other value system. These cultural heritage resources have been preserved and handed over through generations within these African communities.

On the other hand, climate change have been identified as one of the banes of global sustainability. This is as a result of shifts in temperatures and whether patterns over several years. These shifts in temperatures and weather patterns could have been caused by nature through changes in the activities of the earth’s sun, including the incidences of large volcanic eruptions that have been recorded in some parts of the globe over the years. More so, activities of man like bush burning, logging, carbon emissions, environment degradations, including some development initiatives, among others, have equally contributed to issues of climate change in the global space today. Some studies have identified greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and methane which comes from gasoline and forests logging and burning, and agricultural oil and gas operation, as five major common factors of climate change menace on the human environment. This has caused lots of unprecedented damage in various spheres of the human life, ranging from natural environment, health, agriculture, economic activities, technology, culture, among others [3]. This gave rise to various climate change adaptation techniques to safeguard these aspects of the human environment that are threatened by climate change crisis. Hence the crisis might not eradicate, but can be managed to reduce the impacts. This is owing to the fact that the ozone layer is being depleted on a daily basis and the distance between the sun and the earth is closed on a daily basis; thereby causing climate change havocs on the human environment. Mitigation and other control measures have been identified as climate change adaptation techniques to manage these issues. Despite the facts that climate change havocs have been noticed in various aspects of the human environment, the focus of this study is on the climate change and cultural heritage resources.

Cultural heritage resource has to do with all aspects of a people’s culture that have great values. Many of the traditional African communities have over the years promoted their identities, through cultural heritage resources like traditional masquerade system, traditional ceremonies, indigenous festivals, traditional dishes, traditional songs, oral traditions, belief system, folklores, myths, traditional value system, among others. These cultural heritage resources have formed bulk of tourism resources in most African communities. These communities have leveraged on the opportunities of these resources for rural development, to boost their socio-economic lifestyles and other avenues that facilitate sustainable living. Over 70% of nations in Africa enjoy a comparative advantage of cultural heritage tourism product at the global tourism market due to their multiple cultural heritage resources that are unique and attractive. Many of these nations like Nigeria have looked into developing their cultural heritage resources to boost revenues from tourism receipts. These heritage resources which are inherited, have been preserved, conserved and passed through generations. Hence those communities see then as part of them, and their ancestors. Apart from facilitating rural developments at the rural areas, cultural heritage resources have equally impacted greatly on the national development. Transformations and socioeconomic stability of the rural areas contribute greatly to the GDP of the nation; hence it facilitates self-reliance through self-help initiatives. Self-help initiatives are among the drivers for increase export receipts for nations. For instance, cultural heritage tourism activities in Nigeria like Calabar carnival, Abuja carnival, Lagos carnival, Argungu fishing festival, Ikeji masquerade festival, Odo masquerade festival, Ekpo masquerade festival, Omabe masquerade festival, just to mention but a few, have generated huge foreign exchange to the host communities and also facilitated huge income distribution and generation in the areas. There are some other minor cultural heritage resources that are celebrated and enjoyed in the rural areas in their respective communities. More so, cultural heritage resources are not notably remarkable for socio-economic development of the rural areas, it has other contributions in the rural areas. For instance, it facilitates communal living and cohesion in the rural areas. This is one of the areas African communities have leveraged on more than their western counterparts. Those cultural cerebrations and ideologies bring the people together under one umbrella and identity. More so cultural heritage resources have facilitated crisis management in the rural areas. This has been identified as among the greatest opportunities of cultural heritage resources in Africans. It is made possible by their regard for traditional value system which is held to a very high esteem.

However, despite the various opportunities of cultural heritage resources for rural and national development, there are some challenges that have threatened their existence within the African space, especially the cultural heritage resources. Some of these challenges include, misrepresentations, misinterpretations, poor heritage making and authenticity, abuse of traditional value system, global pandemics, theft and vandalism, religious iconoclasm, poor preservation and conservation techniques, westernization, climate change issues, among others. These challenges have eaten deep into the soul of the African cultural heritage resources which have been a binding force for traditional Africans in their respective communities. These challenges are threats to communal living, community development, traditional identity and relevance of Africans in the global space. However, among these challenges, climate change forms the focus of this study. As noted earlier, climate change has over the years affected various facets of human lives within the global space. These has resonated many adaptation techniques to enhance survivals in those areas. These areas include agriculture, technology, health, education, religion, cultural heritage resources, etc. In the area of cultural heritage resources some previous literatures have delved into the discourse of cultural heritage resource, indigenous values system and climate change adaptation in Africa. Despite these efforts, the rich cultural heritage resources of Africans are still endangered by climate change issues. To this end, this study is aimed at conducting an empirical review of literatures on climate change adaptation, indigenous knowledge system and cultural heritage resources in Africa, to understand the extent of literature engagements on the subject matter, and determine the implications for regenerative tourism and future directions, in rural African communities. The study adopted literature method with greater emphasis on most recent literatures. It is expected that at the end, the study would have ascertained the current literary contributions to the subject matter, and determine the direction for future studies and finally examined the implications of the research result for regeneration tourism in traditional African communities.

This section critically reviewed some of the literatures that have addressed climate change related issues on cultural heritage resources in some parts of Africa, to give a clear literature contribution to climate change adaptation strategies for cultural heritage resources in Africa. For instance, Conway, Lisa and Schipper [4] in their study identified rural parts of Africa with focus on Ethiopia, as among the major vulnerabilities to climate change impacts on the globe. These rural communities have lost resources from various spheres of their livelihood due to the incidences of climate change in their areas. More so, they received limited intervention from the public and private sector to enhance climate change adaptation opportunities in their areas. The study calls on the intervention of conventional climate change adaptation for rural communities in Africa. The study has implication for vulnerability of rural Africans in the phase of climate change incidences in Africa.

Kim [5] in his study, noted that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) which are mandated to develop policy frameworks and climate change adaptation techniques for nations, have not considered the impact of climate change on cultural heritage resources and hence have left indigenous cultures to suffer, with little or no intervention from the international agency. This study further draws the attention of UNFCC and policy makers to the plight of indigenous cultures in climate change disasters. Kim [5] further note that such interventions will not only contribute to the effective management of climate change in the rural areas, but will also motivate the various rural communities to draw capacities from their indigenous knowledge system to manage climate change disasters within their localities. This study has implications for the need for more interventions to mitigate climate change threats on indigenous cultures.

More so, Nzeabe, Egbute, Chukwuone, Agwu and Agu [6] had investigated climate change awareness and indigenous innovations for climate change adaptation in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Their findings from various data sources showed that farmers in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria are very much away of the incidences of climate change in their space. These farmers also understood the damaging effects of climate change on farms and other aspects of their livelihood within their environment. They also understood the causes of the climate change issues in their environment. More so, Nzeadibe et al [7] informed that these farmers have adapted various indigenous innovations to check the effects of climate change on their farms and other aspects of their livelihood in their environment. These include planting cover crops like melon to help conserve soil moisture, zero tillage, regular weeding of cropped farmland, early planting especially for crops like maize and cassava, mulching and use of organic manure and, preservation and selection of seeds for next planting season. The authors further recommended more angles of awareness campaigns within the region to expand and sustain knowledge and responses on climate change issues and mitigations within the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. This study has implication for the need for climate change adaptation awareness in the rural parts of Africa.

Ozor, Urama and Wariamu [8] noted that climate change issues have not spared farming in rural communities in Nigeria, Tanzania and Sierra Leone. Despite the low awareness of farmers on the climate change and its effect, these local farmers believed that climate change has caused reduction in crop yield, low productivity, storms damage of fishing boats, windstorm damage of buildings, etc. Although these farmers have some limitations as a result of income levels, level of education and awareness, ageing nature, etc, they were able to draw from their indigenous knowledge system to draw coping strategies for climate change adaptation in their communities. These include traditional terracing (Matuta), traditional food storage method (Vihenge), construction of traditional water reservoirs (Nkunisa), crop diversification, belief system, use of indigenous weather forecaster, performance of ancestral ceremonies, change of crop variety, among others. This study has implication for indigenous knowledge system as among the viable options for climate change adaptation in rural communities in Africa.

Ford and Berrang-Ford [9] in their study investigated the status of climate change adaptation in parts of Africa and Asia. Their study revealed that there is poor status of climate change adaptation in these parts of the globe. Their study also discovered that the limited adaptations were courtesy of national governments, NGO’s and international institutions. However, this limited adaptation interventions did not get to the rural areas and other economically disadvantaged areas. This study has implications for poor level of climate change adaptation interventions in parts of Africa and Asia.

Jiri, Mafongoya, Mubaya and Mafongoya [10] studied climate change impact and adaption in rural communities in South Africa, with greater focus on farming activities. They inform that climate change has caused much harm to agriculture in these rural areas, and this has motivated the local farmers to seek for coping strategies from their indigenous knowledge system. Also, these rural farmers have designed various traditional indicators to predict climate change effects and occurrences. More so, Jiri et al [10] noted that despite the efforts of indigenous knowledge system in the management of climate change in rural African, some lapses have been predicted in the near future. They further recommended the integration of the indigenous knowledge system and the scientific method to be able to ensure sustainable coping strategies for climate change issues in rural communities in South Africa and other parts of Africa. This study has implications for integrated method system for climate change adaptation for cultural heritage resources.

More so, Fatoric and Seekamp [11] in their study examined how cultural heritage resources are being affected by the incidences of climate change, using evidences from some literatures. They noted that there were few studies in that regard and the available ones have more focus on the European space. However, their study also revealed a growing scholarly interest on the subject matter across the globe. This implies that scholars are now paying attention to the relationship between climate change and cultural heritage resources in various part of the globe. That notwithstanding, future studies on the subject matter were recommended to give a comprehensive relationship between climate change, climate change adaptation and cultural heritage resources across various cultural spaces around the globe. This would influence strategic policy development for preservation and adaptation of cultural heritage resources amidst climate change incidences in various parts of the globe. This study has implications for further scholarly engagements on climate change adaptation in Africa.

Brooks, Clarke, Ngaruiya and Wangui [12], in their study on Africa heritage and climate change, note that despite the fact that heritage resources have been identified as one of the major binding forces of Africans in their respective rural areas, these heritage resources have been left in the mercy of climate change in recent times, with little or no adaptation instruments. They further note that without any intervention these heritage resources would face extinction in near future. This study has implications for vulnerability of Africa heritage resources in changing climate in the region.

In another study, Makondo and Thomas [13] noted that despite the fact that climate change challenges have dealt seriously with native Africans, the challenge with the adaptation technique is its sole reliance on scientific methodology. Indigenous knowledge system has been discarded and given little or no relevance in climate change control in Africa. They went further to suggest that a combination of scientific methodology and indigenous knowledge system in climate change adaption would enhance sustainability in climate change management within the African space. Makondo and Thomas [14] went further to suggest that indigenous knowledge system can be integrated to scientific methodology in climate adaptation in African. They include migration, traditional agroforestry and management of degraded farmlands; social networks and relief support against food shortages and hunger; changing eating habits and/or diets; involvement of spirituality and taboos; ecosystem services and resource utilization; rainwater harvesting and rain making; energy, forest conservation and healing. This study concluded by stating that neither scientific methodology nor indigenous knowledge system can sustainably fix climate change issues in African communities, but integration and linking of the two distinctive methodologies. This study has implications for integrated methodologies for climate change adaptation in Africa.

In a similar study Wani and Ariana [15] argued that despite the wide misconceptions that indigenous people know less about the climate change, the people are much informed about the climate change issues in their environment. For instance, climate change has affected indigenous peoples in the area of public health, mental health, food security and traditional food types, water resources, terrestrial resources, climate-related disasters, community infrastructure, and oil and gas industry. These have made the Bajo tribe in Indonesia and more likely, other indigenous communities, to strategize and develop local interventions that are peculiar to their environments, to manage the challenges of climate change in their localities. The community has adopted various indigenous knowledge systems to solve climate change effect on their fishing culture and other resources. For instance, they manage their time of fishing and use of traditional boat that is known as “Leppa or Sopek”, use of traditional belief systems to appeal to their concern in adherence to traditional directives/policies, traditional settlement patterns, modern policy frameworks, collaborative engagements in the other traditional communities that face similar challenges, among others. The implication is that the Bajo community understands the impact of climate change and has adopted many indigenous adaptation techniques to manage climate change issues in their environment.

Sesana, Gagnon, Ciantelli, Cassar and Hughes [16] investigated the impact of climate change on cultural heritage resources. They noted that climate change has exerted some negative effects on the cultural heritage resources as a result of changes in temperature, changes in precipitation, changes in wind and wind direction, among others. These have caused mechanical degradation, chemical degradation, and biological degradation on cultural heritage resources; resulting to damages from flooding, slope instability and landslides, SLR and associated coastal impacts, changes in ocean properties like temperature, salinity and acidity, permafrost thawing, droughts and extreme heat. This study has implications on the specific impacts of climate change on cultural heritage resources.

Nyadzi, Ajayi and Ludwig [17] noted that the opportunities of indigenous knowledge system in climate change adaptation have not been fully maximized. Their study examined the concept of indigenous knowledge (IK) from various dimensions to understand its strengths in climate change adaptation. For example, they characterized indigenous knowledge as a central figure in communal living and adaptation in rural areas, hence its inseparability and tendencies for general land transfers. More so, they examined IK as a potential for co-production of knowledge for climate change adaptation, hence IK can be integrated as among the variables for climate change adaptation in indigenous communities. In addition, they identified IK as a viable tool for climate change issues and impact identification in rural areas. This implies that unconsciously, IK has helped many rural areas in understanding the causes and impacts of climate change issues within their localities, and they measured out peculiar traditional methods to enhance informal adaptation. Moreover, Nyadzi et al [17] identified IK as having the potentiality for the formulation and implementation of climate change interventions within the rural landscape. This implies that many rural communities in Africa and beyond have been applying IK in climate change adaptation in various aspects of their living that are threatened by the incidences of climate change. Finally, they identified the need for the promotion and conservation of IK for climate change management in the rural areas, seeing its potentialities in that regard. They concluded by recommending integration of IK and scientific knowledge to achieve more sustainable climate change adaptation in Africa [17].

Orr, Richards and Fatoric [18] reviewed a cross section of literatures on climate change and heritage resources. They noted that many of these literatures are generalized in content and focus. For instance, none of them focused on a particular type of heritage resources. And many of them did little or nothing on intangible heritage resources and specifics. Despite these lapses, there has been continuous increase in the number of literatures on climate change and heritage resources since 2015. This is an indication that it is a trending area in heritage resources debates and conversations. They recommended that future studies should focus on specific tangible and/or intangible heritage resources to drive home climate change effects and adaption strategies for that particular heritage asset. This study has implications for engaging specific heritage resource in future studies on climate change and cultural heritage resources in Africa

Henderson and Seekamp [19] in their study investigated the views of the host community to understand their perceptions on the implications of climate change on their environment. Their major concerns were on the destructive tendencies of climate change on the intangible heritage resources. The following areas were identified; place meanings, identity and dependence, place connections to intangible cultural resources; the temporal aspect of climate change adaptation planning; altered place connections and transformation of place meaning etc. The implication of this is that climate change has the tendency of destroying a people’s identity through destruction of their intangible heritage resources. These resources have over the years served as binding value system that kept them in their localities. The authors further recommended community inclusion and involvement of indigenous knowledge system while designing climate change adaptation techniques for rural communities.

Higgins [20] informed that climate change has adverse effect on the intangible heritage resources of rural populations, including their tangible heritage resources. He noted that excess flooding can make communities to abandon their communities and related customs and practices; hence influencing how they eat and work, their cultural practices and other traditional value system. He also asserted that despite the availability of conventional practices like legal frameworks and policies on climate change adaptation for cultural heritage resources, from UNESCO, ICOM, World Heritage Conventions, UNFCCC, ICH, ICOMOS, IPCC, among others, the effects have remained unabated. However, Higgins [20] recommended integration of indigenous methods from the respective communities, with the conventional methods. The study has implications for mixed method approach to climate change adaptation for cultural heritage resources in rural communities.

Akturk and Lerski [21] in their study, considered the damaging effects of climate change on intangible cultural heritage resources in rural communities, especially incidences of flooding which has displaced many communities from their traditional homes. This has implications on the value system and other intangible heritage resources of those communities as a result of the displacements and unplanned migrations. More so, intangible heritage resources have always been neglected when designing climate change action plans for vulnerable communities. Akturk and Lerski [21] further recommended sustainable consideration of intangible heritage resources when designing climate change action plans for vulnerable communities. The study has implications for the preservation of intangible heritage resources amidst climate change effects on rural communities.

More so, Dembedza, Chopera, Mapara and Macheka [22] examined the impact of climate change on intangible heritage resources with special focus on food. Their study was motivated by the fact that many studies on climate change impact on cultural heritage resources, have not considered food as an aspect of cultural heritage. The study identified six domains of food that have been grossly affected by the climate change. These include food traditions and customs; food production, processing and storage; dietary culture; eating and social practices; and culinary. Dembedza et al [22] recommended development of relevant frameworks and tools that can facilitate the assessment of impact of climate change on food resources and other intangible heritage resources. This study has implications for direct impact of climate change on various aspects of intangible heritage resources in rural communities.

Filtio, Babir, Gwenzi, Ayal, Sampson, Adeleke, Tilahun, Chirisa, Gbedemah, Nzengya, Sharifi, Theodory, and Yaffa [23] investigated the role of indigenous knowledge and local knowledge system in climate change adaptation in Africa. They noted that many parts of Africa especially the rural areas have not benefited from the modern climate change adaptation interventions despite the fact that they are the most vulnerable to the climate change. However, these rural areas have relied on their local and indigenous knowledge to adapt to the climate change impact in their communities. The authors further noted that these communities should be encouraged to leverage on the opportunities of their local knowledge and indigenous knowledge for climate change adaptation in their localities. This study has implications for harnessing of the opportunities of indigenous knowledge system for climate change adaptation in Africa.

Logan and Grillo [26], note that climate change has caused various sociocultural and environmental challenges to various African communities. They inform that archaeological evidence from the past has shown that various traditional African communities have indigenous knowledge system that have helped them to thrive in their environment against climate change effects, with little or no intervention from conventional methods of climate change adaptation. The study further recommended that traditional communities in Africa should explore various archaeological finds on indigenous knowledge system for climate adaptation. More so, these communities should create awareness on these indigenous methods for the youths and school children. The study has implications for harnessing archaeological options for climate change adaptation in Africa.

More so, Muchaku, Magaiza and Hamandawana [24] in their study noted that many of the scientific methods of climate change adaptation have not performed creditably owing to the none integration of community perceptions and indigenous knowledge system. However, they listed challenges of indigenous knowledge system in climate change adaptation to include none adaptation and integration into climate change mitigation; lack of investment in e-documentation and printing of indigenous knowledge; lack of promotion of a sense of ownership and trust; none promotion of inclusive practices in climate change adaptation, among others. Muchaku et al [24] concluded by recommending sustainable integration of the indigenous knowledge system and scientific methods in climate change adaptation in rural areas in Africa.

Addaney and Gbomagbe [25] is concerned with the impacts of climate change on cultural heritage sites and landscapes in Ethiopia and South Africa. They investigated the effectiveness of existing legal frameworks and policies in the protection of cultural heritage sites and landscapes in the face of climate change effects. They concluded by noting that cultural heritage sites and landscapes in Ethiopia and south Africa are facing imminent extinction as a result of climate change effect. They also informed that the existing legal frameworks and policies have not lived up to the expectation in protecting these cultural assets amidst changing climate. The study has implications for imminent climate change adaptation strategies for cultural heritage sites and landscapes in Africa.

Moreover, Adetunji and Daly [26] used their study to investigate climate change related risks on selected cultural heritage resources in Lagos state Nigeria. Their study identified changes in precipitation and wind speed direction to have induced significant impacts on the selected sites. The impacts include bush fires, flooding and physical collapse issues around the heritage assets. Climate change has caused significant changes in temperature, changes in precipitation and changes in wind, on the sampled heritage assets. These negative impacts have resulted in destabilization of foundation; increased salt penetration and dissolution; wild fire, flooding and erosion, increased plant growth around the heritage assets; collapse of the assets; subsidence; rainwater intrusion; increased fading, discoloration, cracking and flaking; insect infestation; mould growth; shrinking of wooden items; warping of ceiling, increased fading of paintings and other finishing’s, etc. More so, for adaptation actions, Adejunji and Daly [26] recommended building maintenance and land care; policy and governance; early warning and indoor environment monitoring systems; material selection; use of nature-based strategies and traditional knowledge; digital preservation for heritage assets; etc. The study concluded by recommending host community involvement with other heritage experts in managing climate change issues on heritage assets [27].

Implications of the Empirical Investigation on the Literature Gap and Future Directions

From the empirical reviews in the previous section, several studies have delved into conversations on climate change, climate change adaptation, cultural heritage resources and indigenous knowledge system, from different angles. These critical conversations on heritage resources and its vulnerability to climate change effects in Africa and other nations, is a clear indication that there is hope for the conservation and preservation of heritage resources amidst climate change disturbances and destructions. This section of the study would briefly survey some of the critical areas in the reviews on climate change, climate change adaptation, heritage resources and indigenous knowledge system. First and foremost, existing literature revealed that African communities have unique cultural heritage resources that have contributed significantly to communal living, collective development and purposeful living in the various traditional African communities. Hence many of these traditional communities have held tenaciously to their cultural heritage resources, and have ensured smooth transfer to successive generations. These heritage resources, especially cultural heritage resources, have given Africans a fair advantage over other regions, at the global tourism market. Heritage resources, is manifested in every aspect of their livelihood ranging from socioeconomic activities, agricultural activities, sociocultural activities, sociopolitical activities, community development strides, among others. These heritage resources have over the years suffered vulnerability to the menace of climate change. They have been faced with imminent extinction, misrepresentations, misinterpretations, abandonment, and abuse, among others. This has implications for memory loss and identity misrepresentation. This is as result of unnecessary pressure from climate change effects; leading to community displacements, flooding, heavy rainfall, high temperature, erosion menace, etc. Among all these hazards of climate change, community displacements, evacuations and migrations, are the most terrible and disastrous. They have caused various loss and damages to traditional African communities; given them unforgettable experiences, and threatened the preservation and sustainability of their traditional value system.

Also, the existing literature has also revealed that in the last ten years, there have been efforts to develop climate change adaptation strategies to aid rural African communities in the management of the effect of climate change. For instance, some conventional methods have been introduced. These include policy and legal frameworks, scientific methods, community orientations, community engagements with experts on climate change management, distribution of relief materials, evacuation options, among others. However, despite the degree of involvement of these conventional methods, the effects of climate change have remained unabated in traditional African communities. More so, some of the literatures noted that many of these conventional methods have not been experienced in many of these rural communities. In addition, the public sector has cited issues of poor funding and limited resources as among the setbacks in the maximization of the opportunities of these conventional methods in climate change adaptation in various rural communities. Hence some of the communities were identified in the literature, as being ignorant of these conventional methods of climate change adaptation for rural communities. This explains why many of them have blamed the public and private sector for neglect on their (rural communities) climate change vulnerability.

In addition, a section of the reviewed literature has identified indigenous knowledge system as dependable climate change adaptation strategy for rural communities. Traditional Africans are known for harnessing opportunities in their environments to manage their peculiar challenges. This explains why despite the economic challenges in those rural areas; many are managing their living within those rural areas. Many of these communities have harnessed various opportunities of their indigenous knowledge system to manage climate change effects in their localities. Many of the indigenous knowledge or local knowledge is location-specifics and peculiar to specific communities. So, there are variations in the aspects of indigenous knowledge that have been deployed in the various African communities to manage climate change effects. These have been noticed in the various aspects of their living in their communities; social, economy, agriculture, value system, knowledge transfer, etc. Reviewed literatures have noted that apart from the simplicity and readily availability of the indigenous knowledge system, many of the rural communities are more comfortable in using them to manage climate change effects in their localities. This has given them some sense of comfort and sustenance in their indigenous value system. Many of these traditional Africans who claimed ignorant of conventional methods of climate change adaptation, have noted that indigenous knowledge and other local knowledge have been very helpful in managing hazards from climate change in their environment. This has helped them to conserve and manage their rich cultural heritage resources.

More so, evidence from literature has shown that despite the limited availability of conventional methods in most African communities, the conventional methods have been very helpful in those areas where they have been deployed; especially in the areas of legal frame works and policies, community engagements and orientations, etc. Some public and international agencies have been mandated to design relevant policies and legal frameworks that can protect or preserve cultural heritage resources amidst climate change effects in some traditional African communities. This has equally motivated the recommendation for mixed-method approach in climate change adaptation strategies for cultural heritage resources in Africa. This is a combination of conventional method and indigenous knowledge system in climate change adaptation. If well integrated, it will go a long way in providing sustainable checks on the menace of climate change in various rural communities in Africa and other developing nations where values of cultural heritage resources are still held tenaciously. More so, their integration will facilitate higher efficiency level for each of the methods.

However, for this mixed-method approach to be efficient and sustainable, there is need for the full involvement of the respected rural communities in the management of climate change adaptation in their respective localities. For instance, orientation and involvement of the community would facilitate preservation of cultural heritage resources amidst climate change effects. The host community involvement and orientation in the designing of the mixed method approach would equally bridge the gap between rural Africans and the conventional methods of climate change adaptation, as noted in the literature. It is recommended that a Strategic Management Team (SMT) is to be designed to comprise of climate change adaptation experts, the host community, cultural heritage resources management experts, relevant government agencies, etc. Members of this SMT team would work in collaboration to design a more sustainable measure that will promote the efficiency of the use of mixed-method approach in climate change adaptation for cultural heritage resources in traditional African communities.

Implications for Regenerative Tourism in Rural African Communities

Regenerative Tourism (RT) has been identified as one of the instrumentalities of sustainable tourism that is aimed at promoting the regeneration of various tourism resources to facilitate the sustainability of tourism development within a given space. Regenerative tourism discourse has dominated conversations in tourism, in recent times. The concern of this principle is not just to maximize the economic gains of tourism in a place, but to ensure a continued existence of tourism resources that generate tourist traffic to the area. Climate change hazards have not just twisted RT in African communities, it has also undermined its relevance in wider conversations on climate change and the likes. Many of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage resources in Africa have faced vulnerable situations in the face of climate change hazards as noted in the literature. Also, the insufficiency of the conventional methods of climate change adaptation in rural African communities, have not supported regeneration of those tangible and intangible heritage assets. However, the recommended mixed-method approach, has huge implications for supporting the ideals of RT principles in rural African communities. This is owing to the fact that SMT team which also has members of the host community as members, can easily identify peculiar challenges of these heritage resources as caused by climate change hazards, and preserve them for future use within the area.

More so, another implication is that indigenous knowledge method as designed by these communities has the capacity to preserve and manage these vulnerable heritage resources in the face of climate change hazards. However, this is possible when members of the host community are part of the SMT team that designed and manage mixed-method approach for climate change adaptation in their communities. Many of the heritage resources of Africans, especially the intangible heritage resources, are not formally documented or written down, most of the time. That notwithstanding, they are written in the hearts and memories of native Africans; hence the usual seamless transmission from one generation to another. Although few of them are currently being documented in the literature, but they are also not lost nor forgotten; even some of the cultural heritage resources that are not currently used or practiced by the people. The concern of the rural community is to ensure that they are preserved, and not necessary promoted for tourism purposes. Tourism promotion for heritage resources is secondary to them; hence they would strive to ensure their preservation amidst climate change crisis. And on the other hand, promote RT in their various communities for their rich heritage assets.

Conclusion

Climate change crisis has affected various aspects of lives of traditional African communities; hence the call for climate change adaptation strategies that will ensure the preservation of cultural heritage resources amidst climate change hazards. Many of the previous studies attempted to solve this problem by recommending conventional or indigenous knowledge methods for climate change adaptation in rural African communities. However, a careful examination of these two methods exposed some underlying lapses; hence this particular study was motivated to recommend mixed-method approach to climate change adaptation in rural African communities. This is a strategic combination of conventional approaches and indigenous knowledge system. For effective applications of this method, the study recommended the formation of SMT team to design and deploy this mixed-method approach to respect the rural communities in Africa. By this, this study has set a new direction for climate change adaptation conversations and researches in Africa. Future studies will now consider the application of this method in various African communities; identify peculiar effects of climate change on respective cultural heritage resources in Africa. Identifying these respective climate change effects on cultural heritage resources, would guide the setting up of the SMT team that will design strategies to preserve and manage cultural heritage resources amidst climate change hazards. This would also have some implications for regenerative tourism; hence regenerative tourism principle can now form part of the conversations and researches on climate change adaptation for cultural heritage resources in Africa.

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