Rituals of responsibility: how the global south builds climate resilience through culture and community using Nigeria’s palm frond broom industry

Climate adaption policies increasingly acknowledge the importance of indigenous knowledge and community-based approaches; however, rural craft industries remain largely overlooked as contributors to environmental sustainability and climate resilience. In Nigeria, this neglect represents an important policy gap, as the National Climate Policy (2021–2030), National Adaption Plan and related climate governance instruments provide little recognition of indigenous green craft industries despite their socioeconomic and environmental benefits. This scientific policy brief draws on empirical evidence from field studies conducted in Igbo Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, and Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, complemented by a review of national climate policy documents and relevant literature. The result showed that the palm frond broom industry contributes to climate adaptation by diversifying rural livelihoods, strengthening women’s economic participation, promoting sustainable palm resource management through non-destructive harvesting practices, reducing reliance on non-biodegradable cleaning products and reinforcing community-based system of environmental stewardship. Despite these contributions, the industry remains largely excluded from climate finance, technical innovation and opportunities for integration into national adaptation strategies. Recognizing indigenous green craft industries as climate adaptation assets would strengthen inclusive climate governance while simultaneously advancing environmental sustainability, rural economic resilience and circular economy objectives. This brief therefore recommends the development of Green Craft Policy Framework, the establishment of Community Climate Units to document and strengthen indigenous adaptation practices, targeted climate finance and technological support for rural artisans, and the integration of indigenous ecological knowledge into national climate adaption planning. The Nigerian experience demonstrates that culturally embedded green industries can complement conventional adaptation strategies and offers policy lessons for strengthening community-based climate resilience across the Global South.