Doomdooma: A new scientific study has documented Assam’s Moran community’s traditional knowledge of how insects and birds behave before changes in weather. The findings show how local communities observe their environment and use this knowledge to understand weather patterns.
Published on October 29, 2026, in Archives of Current Research International, the study, titled Indigenous Technical Knowledge of Biotic Weather Indicators among the Moran Community of Assam, India, examined information provided by 138 respondents in Tinsukia district.
The researchers defined indigenous knowledge as “locally developed observations and practices transmitted through social experience”. They said this knowledge is based on community experiences and traditional practices.
The study was conducted by Kaberi Gogoi, Mayuri Bora, Supahi Mahanta, Kuldip Medhi, Sayanika Borah and Swapnali Borah, who are affiliated with Assam Agricultural University in Jorhat.
The team used structured interviews, group discussions and information from key informants. It recorded 12 descriptions of invertebrates and 11 observations of birds linked to weather indicators.
The study found that respondents had different levels of knowledge about these indicators. Among them, 81 respondents (58.70 per cent) had medium-level knowledge of insect-related indicators, while 41 (29.71 per cent) had high-level knowledge.
For bird-related indicators, 89 respondents (64.49 per cent) fell into the medium-knowledge category. The researchers also said that “the classification thresholds and independent predictive performance of the indicators were not established.”
The findings show that traditional observations of nature remain part of the Moran community’s knowledge in Tinsukia. Farming was the main occupation for 51.45 per cent of the respondents, while women made up 54.35 per cent of the study sample.
However, the researchers cautioned that the reported links between animal behaviour and weather changes should not be treated as scientifically proven methods of weather prediction. They recommended “prospective observations linked to meteorological records” to determine how reliable these indicators are.
The study could support further research into indigenous knowledge and its possible uses in agriculture, environmental observation and climate-related studies in Assam.