A Field Survey and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Based Investigation of the Archaeological Landscape in the Niger River Valley, Republic of Benin

Abstract The Niger River Valley in the Republic of Benin is an archaeologically rich landscape, where hundreds of sites line the river’s tributaries. Before this doctoral research was conducted in the region, the landscape here was a terra-incognita. In order to archaeologically investigate the area, several methods were used consisting of a field walking survey, and the use of satellite remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). An integration of these methods, which are commonly used in research out of Africa, showed the diverse nature of archaeology in this region. The field walking survey revealed the position of over 300 sites and around 50,000 material culture artefacts, comprising of mainly ceramic vessel sherds. The field survey was undertaken over 45 days and covered a total area of 25km2 within four geographical zones in the study area. A comprehensive gazetteer was produced from the data collected. Remote sensing methods that manipulate multispectral satellite imagery were used to identify sites from the air, because the archaeology of this region is not visible from standard air photographs. The mapping of sites using GIS facilitated in establishing fundamental landscape patterns, which helped substantiate theories surrounding West African urbanism and human-environment interactions. The results conveyed that settlements in this region favour areas where water is available, mainly close to perennial and ephemeral fluvial systems. Furthermore, the archaeological sites identified display strong evidence of spatial clustering, which has been shown in other West African contexts to be indicative of early urbanisation

Quantifying productivity and water use of sorghum intercrop systems.

Ph. D. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg 2015.Rural sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces the challenge of achieving food security under water scarcity amplified by climate change and variability. Under these conditions, it is necessary to adopt cropping systems that have a potential to improve productivity. The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of a sorghum-cowpea-bottle gourd intercrop systems with a view to determine the resource use efficiencies. This was achieved through a series of studies which included conducting critical literature reviews, quantifying water use and water use efficiency of sorghum-cowpea-bottle gourd, and modelling such systems using Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM). Field trials were conducted at the University of KwaZulu–Natal’s, Ukulinga Research Farm over two seasons (2013/14 and 2014/15) under varying water regimes [full irrigation (FI), deficit irrigation (DI) and rainfed (RF)]. Intercrop combinations considered were sole sorghum, cowpea and bottle gourd as well as intercrops of sorghum–cowpea and sorghum–bottle gourd. Data collected included soil water content, plant height/vine length, leaf number, tillering/branching, leaf area index, relative leaf water content, stomatal conductance and chlorophyll content index as well as biomass accumulation and partitioning. Yield and yield components, water use (WU) and WUE were calculated at harvest. Extinction coefficient, intercepted photosynthetic active radiation (IPAR) and radiation use efficiency (RUE) for biomass and grain were also determined. Land equivalent ratio (LER) was used to evaluate intercrop productivity. Growth, yield and water use (ET) of the sorghum–cowpea intercrop system were simulated using APSIM. The validated model was then used to develop best management practices for intercropping. The review showed that aboveground interactions within intercrop systems have thoroughly been investigated while belowground interactions were mostly limited. The review showcased the potential of bottle gourd as a versatile food crop. The field trials established that sorghum yields were stable across different water regimes. This was mainly achieved through facilitative interaction within the intercrop systems which allowed for greater eco-physiological adaptation resulting in improved water capture and use. Improved water capture and use also increased WUE (50.68%) and RUE (8.96%). The APSIM model was simulated growth, yield and WU of an intercrop system under varying water regimes satisfactorily. The model over–estimated biomass (6.25%), yield (14.93%) and WU (7.29%) and under–estimated WUE (-14.86%). Scenario analyses using APSIM showed that the development of best management practices should be agro–ecology specific to ensure dynamic climate change adaptation strategies and increase resilience. It was concluded that intercropping results in improved productivity, especially under water–limited conditions. As such, it that can be used by farmers located in semi-arid and arid regions as an adaptation strategy for increased productivity. Dynamic agronomic management practices should be adapted to further increase the system’s resilience to predicted climatic uncertainties. Future studies on intercropping should consider root interactions and possibly different plant populations and planting geometry as factors that might influence resource capture and use. Decision support systems should be promoted within farming communities to better manage risks associated with on-farm decision making

The Evolution of Agriculture, Food and Drink in the Ancient Niger River Basin: Archaeobotanical studies from Mali and Benin

This doctoral thesis examines the evolution of the agricultural and food economies that supported the communities that gave rise to complex societies in West Africa, as well as the agricultural systems that sustained the succeeding polities around the Niger River Valley. One of the major goals of my thesis was to reconstruct the evolution of food and beer systems, including both production and consumption. The aim of my thesis goes beyond simply documenting the arrival of new practices or new crop taxa. It also addresses the consumption practices that these crops gave rise to, and how they became embedded in the social, economic, political and environmental history of past African societies. The time period covered by this research (from 2000 BC. Until Today) witnesses climatic fluctuations, with continual oscillations between dry and humid phases. Many social changes also occurred during this period. One of the most important modifications in the African landscape, during the first and second millennium AD, is the growth of the West African states and empires, such as those of Ghana and Mali, as well as various Songhay polities. The extension and maturation of these political entities likely impacted on local agricultural systems, urbanization, and trade networks. The history and peopling of West Africa, and particularly in the Niger River area, is connected to issues of food consumption and social organisation. Indeed, we also have to study the ethno-historic framework of the area. This research includes an analysis of archaeobotanical material recovered from sites located in North Benin and Mali. The 13 sites from Benin were excavated for the ‘Crossroad of empires’ ERC project during three field seasons (2012-14). As for the samples from Malian sites, 4 were recovered by Kevin MacDonald during excavations in the 1990s, Sadia in Dogon country was excavated by the APA Swiss project in 2010-11 and Togu 2A excavated by Daouda Keita (Université des sciences Socials et Géstion, Bamako, Mali) for the Markadugu Project led by Nikolas Gestrich from the Frobenius Institute (Frankfurt, Germany)

SANITATION VALUE CHAIN Vol.1 No.1

CONTENTS SANITATION VALUE CHAIN Original Articles: ◆Interdisciplinary Water and Sanitation Project in Burkina Faso ・・・・・・Funamizu, N. 003 ◆Microbial Risk Assessment for Agricultural Production Cycle of On-site Resource Oriented Sanitation Systems: A Case of Burkina Faso ・・・・・・Hijikata, N., Sou/Dakoure, M., Sossou, S.K., Brou, A.L., Maiga, A.H. and Funamizu, N. 015 ◆Potential of Treated Wastewater Reuse for Agricultural Irrigation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso ・・・・・・Michinaka, A., Hijikata, N., Shigemura, H., Kawasumi, R., Yamashita, H., Takashima, E. and Takahashi, M. 027 ◆Sanitation Project in Rural Africa Examined Based on Local Economy, Education and Community Participation: A Case Study of Burkina Faso ・・・・・・Ikemi, M. 035 ◆Land Utilization System in Burkina Faso: A Case Study in Ziniaré ・・・・・・Hakoyama, F. 045 ◆Political Participation by African Peasants as Development Actors of Integrated Water Resource Management ・・・・・・Nabeshima, T. 051 ◆Assessing the Impact of Improved Sanitation on the Health and Happiness of a West African Local Population: Concepts and Research Methodology ・・・・・・Yamauchi, T. and Funamizu, N. 06

Resilient cooling of buildings: state of the art review

Name of the research project : IEA Annex 80 – Resilient Cooling of Buildings Publisher: Institute of Building Research & Innovation ZT GmbH, AustriaThis report summarizes an assessment of current State-of-the Art resilient cooling strategies and technologies. It is a result of a collaborative work conducted by participants members of IEA EBC Annex 80. This report consists of four chapters. In the first chapter are included relevant technologies and strategies that contribute to reducing heat loads to people and indoor environments. These technologies/strategies include Advanced window/glazing and shading technologies, Cool envelope materials, Evaporative Envelope Surfaces, Ventilated Envelope Surfaces and Heat Storage and Release. In the second chapter are assessed cooling strategies and technologies that are responsible for removing sensible heat in indoor environments: Ventilative cooling, Evaporative Cooling, Compression refrigeration, Desiccant cooling system, Ground source cooling, Night sky radiative cooling and High-temperature cooling systems. In the third chapter various typologies of cooling strategies and technologies are assessed inside the framework of enhancing personal comfort apart from space cooling. This group of strategies/technologies comprise of: Vertical-axis ceiling fans and horizontal-axis wall fans (such fixed fans differ from pure PCS in that they may be operated under imposed central control or under group or individual control), Small desktop-scale fans or stand fans, Furnitureintegrated fan jets, Devices combining fans with misting/evaporative cooling, Cooled chairs, with convective/conductive cooled heat absorbing surfaces, Cooled desktop surfaces, Workstation micro-air-conditioning units, some including phase change material storage, Radiantly cooled panels (these are currently less for PCS than for room heat load extraction), Conductive wearables, Fan-ventilated clothing ensembles, Variable clothing insulation: flexible dress codes and variable porosity fabrics. In the fourth chapter technologies and strategies pertinent to removing latent heat from indoor environments are assessed. This group includes Desiccant dehumidification, Refrigeration dehumidification, Ventilation dehumidification, and Thermos-electric dehumidification.Preprin

Neglected zoonotic diseases and cross-border livestock movements in northern Côte d'Ivoire : towards local and regional integrated control

Background: Neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs) are less prioritized in Africa, which is in contrast to their impacts on human and animal health and livestock production. Brucellosis, Q fever and Rift Valley fever (RVF) are among the most common NZDs that occur in Western Africa. Cross-border livestock movements are frequent in Africa given the centuries-old practice of mobile pastoralism. They are described to be associated with the spread of “highly contagious epidemic animal diseases with significant economic and food security concerns, known as Transboundary Animal Diseases -TADs”, which include NZDs of interest in this PhD thesis. Although movements are central to livestock production in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), they are mostly uncontrolled. Additionally, veterinary services of the neighboring countries have hardly collaborated with respect to cross-border control of diseases. Currently the epidemiology as well as the public health and economic importance of TADs in general and NZDs in particular remain unknown in the region. The aim of this research was to generate epidemiological data on NZDs and TADs in order to assess their economic impact as well as to design appropriate regional control strategies. Methods: Multi-stage cross-sectional cluster surveys in livestock and humans between 2012 and 2014 in a random selection of 63 villages and a sample of 633 cattle, 622 small ruminants and about 100 people were conducted. Sera were tested with the Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT); indirect ELISAs for Brucella spp., B. ovis and C. burnetii; and a competitive ELISA for B. melitensis and RVF. Then questionnaires were administered regarding NZD risk factors. The economic impact of brucellosis on milk, meat and hide productions were calculated for Côte d’Ivoire using a stochastic projection matrix model which simulated the demographic growth and compared cattle productions with and without brucellosis. Regarding cross-border control of livestock movements and diseases, thirteen focus group discussions with mobile pastoralists, agropastoralists and farmers as well as eleven key-informant interviews with animal health professionals and livestock movement supporting agencies were conducted. Additionally, cross-sectional serological surveys on brucellosis and Q fever in humans (n = 76), cattle, sheep and goats (n = 537) in slaughterhouses along pastoral corridors in northern Côte d’Ivoire and Abidjan were also performed. Main results: The seroprevalence of Brucella spp. adjusted for clustering was 4.6% in cattle, 0% in sheep and goats and 5.3% in humans. In cattle, age, mixed-herding with other livestock species and having joint hygromas were significant predictors. The seroprevalence of Q fever was 13.9%, 9.4% and 12.4% in cattle, sheep and goats, respectively. The seroprevalence of RVF was 3.9% in cattle, 2.4% in sheep and 0% in goats. Abortion was a significant predictor of seropositivity in ewes. About 4% of the cattle had antibodies against both Q fever and RVF. The Ivorian cattle population was simulated and estimated to be about 1,885,123 and 1,906,961 with and without the disease in 2015, respectively. An overall intrinsic growth rate of 1.8% and 17.4% meat offtake rate were derived. The cumulated net present cost attributable to brucellosis infection was estimated at FCFA 14,455 x 106 (95% CI: 6,278–22,906). The incremental live cattle asset value was projected to FCFA 3,826 x 106 (95% CI: 1–7,6) in 2015. Regarding cross-border livestock mobility, key-informant interviews and group discussions identified almost 30,000 cattle from 200 mobile pastoralists involved each year in uncontrolled cross-border movements between Mali, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso. TADs such as Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), tuberculosis, lumpy skin disease, pasteurellosis, brucellosis and Blackleg were ranked to be the most important diseases in cattle whereas “peste des petits ruminants” (PPR) was the only disease reported in sheep and goats. Lack of veterinary staff and transportation means in veterinary services, poor cross-border veterinary collaboration and harmonization of disease control activities were the main constraints to controlling their spread. The study identified over-arching themes regarding the challenges and needs for cross-border control of TADs and movements and established a program for the harmonization of disease control activities in the three countries. Conclusions: Our results provide updated epidemiological and economic descriptions of NZDs in Côte d’Ivoire. The research identified key diseases, areas of increased livestock movements, corridors/routes, and needs for cross-border control of movements and diseases in the Sudano-Guinean savanna. Cross-border collaboration should be promoted for the implementation of an effective and durable control. There is an urgent need for cost-effectiveness studies to complement our economic impact estimations as well as studies to better explore and understand the added value of cross-border cross-sectoral collaboration and coordination regarding feasible movement and disease control

Measuring knowledge sharing processes through social network analysis within construction organisations

The construction industry is a knowledge intensive and information dependent industry. Organisations risk losing valuable knowledge, when the employees leave them. Therefore, construction organisations need to nurture opportunities to disseminate knowledge through strengthening knowledge-sharing networks. This study aimed at evaluating the formal and informal knowledge sharing methods in social networks within Australian construction organisations and identifying how knowledge sharing could be improved. Data were collected from two estimating teams in two case studies. The collected data through semi-structured interviews were analysed using UCINET, a Social Network Analysis (SNA) tool, and SNA measures. The findings revealed that one case study consisted of influencers, while the other demonstrated an optimal knowledge sharing structure in both formal and informal knowledge sharing methods. Social networks could vary based on the organisation as well as the individuals’ behaviour. Identifying networks with specific issues and taking steps to strengthen networks will enable to achieve optimum knowledge sharing processes. This research offers knowledge sharing good practices for construction organisations to optimise their knowledge sharing processes

The 45th Australasian Universities Building Education Association Conference: Global Challenges in a Disrupted World: Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Approaches in the Built Environment, Conference Proceedings, 23 - 25 November 2022, Western Sydney University, Kingswood Campus, Sydney, Australia

This is the proceedings of the 45th Australasian Universities Building Education Association (AUBEA) conference which will be hosted by Western Sydney University in November 2022. The conference is organised by the School of Engineering, Design, and Built Environment in collaboration with the Centre for Smart Modern Construction, Western Sydney University. This year’s conference theme is “Global Challenges in a Disrupted World: Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Approaches in the Built Environment”, and expects to publish over a hundred double-blind peer review papers under the proceedings

High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area

The Building sector requires a conspicuous considerable amount of energy for services related to annual air-conditioning and the thermal comfort of indoor spaces. The design of highly efficient low-energy buildings is often a challenging task, especially in the mediterranean area, where the balanced requirement for heating and cooling energy does not usually permit a high level of envelope insulation in order to avoid summer overheating. This topical Special Issue of Energies is dedicated to “High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives” and collects studies related to the assessment and evaluation of systems and technologies for building energy management and control in the Mediterranean climate, with the aim of optimizing the building–plant system and reducing energy use. This collection of papers presents the latest research results related to the topic; these articles offer valuable insights into the energy simulation of highly efficient buildings, propose innovative envelope solutions, such as green roofs, Trombe walls, and PCM, and investigate the use of renewable sources such as photovoltaic systems. The topics also include the innovative use and control of Venetian blinds and fixed solar shades in order to reduce energy consumption and preserve visual comfort, as well as an interesting economic analysis based on the cost-optimal approach

Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB)

Reducing the impact of climate change is one of the main challenges of today’s society. As such, it is necessary to reduce the high energy consumption that comes with constructing and using buildings. Current energy policies are promoting decarbonization of the built environment using the nearly zero-energy building’s concept. This book presents information on nearly zero-energy buildings, including materials, design, and new approaches