Analysing learning at the interface of scientific and traditional ecological knowledge in a mangrove ecosystem restoration scenario in the eastern coast of Tanzania

Records from community-based coastal management initiatives indicate that local communities who are key actors in activities that aim at safeguarding the health status of terrestrial and marine ecosystems face a lot of challenges associated with adapting and applying indicators that are scientifically abstracted and methodologically too reified, given varying social, contextual and technical conditions prevailing amongst them. This paper brings into view possible challenges of adapting and applying scientific indicators in community-based monitoring of mangrove ecosystem and suggests a new approach that may lead to development of indicators which are less reified, more congruent to users (coastal communities) and likely to attract a wider social learning in the mangrove restoration context. It also sets a bridge for scientific institutions (including universities), to understand various social, cultural and contextual needs that determine epistemological access between them and local communities, which need to be addressed prior to engaging target communities in participatory monitoring programmes. The paper attempts to analyse learning at the interface of knowledge that scientific institutions produce and the potential knowledge that exists in local context (traditional ecological knowledge) for purposes of widening and improving knowledge sharing and safeguarding the health status of mangrove species and fisheries that use them as key habitats. The paper stems from a study which employs processes of abstraction and experiential learning techniques such as Experiential Learning Intervention Workshop carried out in 2012, to unlock knowledge that local communities have, as an input for underlabouring existing scientific indicators in the eastern coast of Tanzania. It brings into view the need to consider contextual realities on ground, the level of education that the participating group has, the minimum level of participation that is required, structures that govern coastal monitoring practices at local level and the need for scientific institutions to consider the knowledge that local people have as an input for enhancing or improving coastal monitoring, especially monitoring of mangrove and fishery resources. The paper finally comes up with a framework of indicators which is regarded by coastal communities as being less reified, more contextually and culturally congruent and which can easily be used in detecting environmental trends, threats, changes and conditions of mangrove and fisheries resources, and attract wider social learning processes

DFID Nepal Rural Access Programme Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Component: Baseline Report

DFID Nepal Rural Access Programme Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Component BASELINE REPOR

A System Dynamic Model for Sustainable Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling in Libya

In Libya, Construction and Demolition Waste materials (C&DW) are currently thrown in landfills or illegally dumped. In regions where the C&DW is not landfilled, insufficient C&DW management fails to take advantage of the full value of the materials that could be repurposed for road construction. This research aims to develop a sustainable C&DW management model appropriate to Libya and similar countries. Over 97% of construction in Libya uses cement; therefore, this study focuses on cement production and consumption and creates a simulation to model the parts of the construction industry. This study uses System Dynamics (SD), which is a tool used by stakeholders in policy planning to make better decisions about how to manage C&DW. This study models and predicts C&DW from 2008 until 2030, taking material cost, availability, recyclability and environmental, economic and social impacts into account. The model conforms to historical data from 2008 to 2016 and then becomes a predictive model until 2030; the years following 2011 are particularly critical due to the amount of destruction and the resulting rebuilding. The model shows that having a higher collection budget does not result in better environmental outcomes unless there is money allocated for C&DW recycling. The study quantifies the amount of material in Libya generated from demolition that is not reused; this data becomes a means of analyzing the value of the waste. The model output provides important data (e.g., cement consumption, GDP) for future resource management

Assessment of the effectiveness of local coastal zone management partnerships as a delivery mechanism for integrated coastal zone management

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:3482. 028(no 23) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Some Thoughts on Development Evaluation Processes

A lively methodological debate together with organisational adjustments has dominated the international discussion on development evaluation in the last decade. Less discussed have been the evaluation processes, from procurement of consultants to the completion of evaluations, where many donors have used the same ‘system’ with only minor adjustments for many years. A key question is whether this ‘system’ is still ‘fit for purpose’ in view of the increasing complexity of many development interventions. This article presents three perspectives on development evaluation processes – the ‘independence perspective’, the ‘transaction cost perspective’ and the ‘political economy perspective’ – and argues that in particular the ‘political economy perspective’ constitutes a relevant perspective in analyses of evaluation processes. It is concluded that evaluation processes should be designed to reflect the specific characteristics of the individual evaluations, but also that more analysis and experimentation are required