Status of elephants and poaching for ivory in Malawi: a case study in Liwonde and Kasungu National Parks

The post ivory trade ban period saw a drop in poaching for the commodity in Malawi. In 1991 an assessment of elephant distribution, numbers and mortality was undertaken. Elephants occupy three recognizable ranges of which two cross international boundaries. Data from Liwonde National Park show that the elephant population has remained stable since 1978. The population in Kasungu has most probably declined due to crop protection shooting and poaching

An Opportunity to Switch Energy Sources in Institutions in the Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania and Benefit from Carbon Finance under the Sustainable Land Management Project

The sustainable land management (SLM) project is seeking to engage with public institutions to explore the possibility of using the energy-switch principle presented by the carbon market to reduce emissions from inefficient use of biomass energy and discharge of human waste into the environment. Such a switch will be a triple-win situation that improves the natural environment, reduces deforestation, and provides avenues for revenue generation. As such, it commissioned a study of the pattern of energy consumption in the institutions and the type of cooking stoves they employ. Results show that firewood (51%) is the most widely used fuel because of availability, affordability, and reliability. The study also found that 56% of the institutions use energy-saving stoves, which is an opportunity that the project can seize to encourage use of alternatives sources of energy as opposed to biomass. In addition, 88% of the institutions expressed willingness to switch to biogas for cooking. This is yet another opportunity for scaling up the dissemination of renewable sources of energy in the region. Better adoption and wider use of renewable energy sources will take place when innovative financing mechanisms are devised to cover the high upfront cost of installing renewable energy systems. This has been one of the main barriers to scaling up the use of renewable in the region

Soil and water bioengineering: practice and research needs for reconciling natural hazard control and ecological restoration

Soil and water bioengineering is a technology that encourages scientists and practitioners to combine their knowledge and skills in the management of ecosystems with a common goal to maximize benefits to both man and the natural environment. It involves techniques that use plants as living building materials, for: (i) natural hazard control (e.g., soil erosion, torrential floods and landslides) and (ii) ecological restoration or nature-based re-introduction of species on degraded lands, river embankments, and disturbed environments. For a bioengineering project to be successful, engineers are required to highlight all the potential benefits and ecosystem services by documenting the technical, ecological, economic and social values. The novel approaches used by bioengineers raise questions for researchers and necessitate innovation from practitioners to design bioengineering concepts and techniques. Our objective in this paper, therefore, is to highlight the practice and research needs in soil and water bioengineering for reconciling natural hazard control and ecological restoration. Firstly, we review the definition and development of bioengineering technology, while stressing issues concerning the design, implementation, and monitoring of bioengineering actions. Secondly, we highlight the need to reconcile natural hazard control and ecological restoration by posing novel practice and research questions

Sedimentation and Vegetation Colonization in Shah Tours Gully after Rehabilitation, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

The Shah Tours gully, rehabilitated under the auspices of the project on Reducing Land Degradation in the Highlands of Kilimanjaro Region, is showing signs of recovery, only one year after rehabilitation. Check dams of stone and wire gabions, and sandbags, measuring 1.0 m high filled up with sediments at a rate of approximately 10.9 t ha-1 yr-1. Considering that the average depth of gully is 3.0 m, it is projected that it will take 2 more years for sediments to fill up the gully, if more layers of check dams are added to the existing ones. With respect to colonization by vegetation, there is 100% cover mainly by herbaceous layer (grasses and herbs), but also some shrubs and trees in the gully bed, which was rocky and devoid of plants before rehabilitation. These results will be crucial in planning for other gully-rehabilitation works in the Kilimanjaro region. Keywords Kilimanjaro ecosystem, land degradation, soil loss, rehabilitation, sediment deposition, vegetation colonizatio

Communication Strategy for the Sustainable Land Management Project in the Highlands of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

The Communication Strategy (CS) for the Sustainable Land Management (SLM) project essentially sets out the overall framework on how the SLM project communicates and engages with its audiences over the project implementation period. The CS in this manner specifies target audiences for specific messages, documents a detailed implementation plan and identifies entities that deliver parts of the strategy. A total of 65 respondents were interviewed (41 farmer group members from the SLM project catchment areas and 25 SLM project key stakeholders). Focus group discussion (FGD) was employed to interview farmer groups. A checklist was used to guide face to face interviews and the FGDs. The CS in place is set out to be implemented in three phases: first focuses on raising and increasing awareness among key target groups, the second phase aims to link the level of public awareness to the problems related to soil/land degradation and of the opportunities generated by SLM project and the third phase, focus on raising the profile of the SLM project groups, establishing them as an indispensable governance tool in addressing environmental, social and economic challenges and generating benefits. Four entities selected to implement the CS include IPP Media Ltd, Mwananchi Community Ltd, Moshi FM Radio and Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation. The selection of these entities was based on their track record to undertake SLM related activities. Keywords: Sustainable Land Management, Communication Strategy, Kilimanjar

Role of Serial Polio Seroprevalence Studies in Guiding Implementation of the Polio Eradication Initiative in Kano, Nigeria: 2011-2014.

BACKGROUND: Nigeria was one of 3 polio-endemic countries before it was de-listed in September 2015 by the World Health Organization, following interruption of transmission of the poliovirus. During 2011-2014, Nigeria conducted serial polio seroprevalence surveys (SPS) in Kano Metropolitan Area, comprising 8 local government areas (LGAs) in Kano that is considered very high risk (VHR) for polio, to monitor performance of the polio eradication program and guide the program in the adoption of innovative strategies. METHODS: Study subjects who resided in any of the 8 local government areas of Kano Metropolitan Area and satisfied age criteria were recruited from patients at Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital (Kano) for 3 seroprevalence surveys. The same methods were used to conduct each survey. RESULTS: The 2011 study showed seroprevalence values of 81%, 75%, and 73% for poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3, respectively, among infants aged 6-9 months age. Among children aged 36-47 months, seroprevalence values were greater (91%, 87%, and 85% for poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3, respectively).In 2013, the results showed that the seroprevalence was unexpectedly low among infants aged 6-9 months, remained high among children aged 36-47 months, and increased minimally among children aged 5-9 years and those aged 10-14 years. The baseline seroprevalence among infants aged 6-9 months in 2014 was better than that in 2013. CONCLUSIONS: The results from the polio seroprevalence surveys conducted in Kano Metropolitan Area in 2011, 2013, and 2014 served to assess the trends in immunity and program performance, as well as to guide the program, leading to various interventions being implemented with good effect, as evidenced by the reduction of poliovirus circulation in Kano

Relating consumer preferences to sensory and physicochemical properties of dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

The dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important grain legume that is used for human consumption worldwide. In Africa and other parts of the World, legume diets contribute tremendously to protein and energy requirements of consumers. Dry beans provide about 16- 33% protein, dietary fibre (between 14 and 19%), starch, minerals and vitamins. Dry beans have a long storage life and can be cooked as whole grains, fried or dehulled and splitted for production of dhal and salads. There is a tremendous variability in the dry bean varieties. It is believed that consumer preferences for dry beans are influenced by factors such as seed size, seed colour, cooking time and flavour. Although, substantial research has been done on physicochemical properties, description of sensory properties that differentiate bean varieties specifically in terms of liked or disliked flavours was lacking. Sensory evaluation is one of the methods used for evaluating product quality and it can be used to describe the sensory properties of a product (i.e. descriptive sensory evaluation) and determines its acceptability by consumers (i.e. consumer acceptability or preferences). Physicochemical properties and descriptive sensory evaluation of six dry bean varieties (Jenny, Kranskop, PAN 148, AC Calmont, PAN 150 and Mkuzi) from Mpumalanga (MP) and Free State (FS) locations of South Africa were determined. Significant (p60 min) using a Mattson Bean Cooker. PAN 150 beans from both locations were described as bitter, soapy and metallic with a raw bean flavour. Mkuzi beans were mostly described as having a soapy mouthfeel. Jenny (MP), Kranskop (MP&FS) were sweet, soft and with a cooked bean flavour. Consumer sensory evaluation revealed that beans with sweet, soft and cooked bean flavours were the most preferred. Beans that took long to cook and those that were described as bitter, soapy and metallic in the mouth, received low consumer ratings on a 9-point hedonic scale. The total polyphenol content of PAN 150 (MP), along with Jenny and AC Calmont from MP was determined to find out whether the bitterness was associated with its polyphenol concentration. PAN 150 beans had the lowest concentration of total polyphenols compared to the two other varieties, suggesting that factors other than total polyphenol content caused the bitterness of these beans. A follow up investigation of mineral profiles in whole bean flour of all six bean varieties from the two locations was done to find out whether differences in mineral content e.g. iron (Fe) contributed to bitterness and metallic mouthfeel of certain beans. Results showed significant (p< 0.05) variety differences for phosphorous (P) and significant (p< 0.05) location differences for magnesium (Mn) only. Fe and copper (Cu) contents did not contribute to bitterness or metallic mouthfeel of PAN 150 beans. For maximum consumer acceptability, farmers should concentrate on the production of beans that have characteristics similar to Kranskop (MP&FS), PAN 148 (FS) and Jenny (MP) beans. As bean hardening was suspected in Jenny (FS), PAN 148 (MP) and Mkuzi (MP), the importance of storing beans at proper temperatures (e.g. less than 35ºC) and relative humidity (e.g. < 75 %) should be emphasized to minimize the development of the hard-to-cook defect over long storage periods.Dissertation (MSc(Agric))--University of Pretoria, 2008.Food Scienceunrestricte

Participatory Land-Use Planning: Integrating Expert-Oriented and Community-Based Tools for Sustainable Land Management in Kilimanjaro Region

Tanzania like other countries globally has witnessed a paradigm shift in natural resource planning and management from state-centric to community based approach. The shift was inevitable following the experienced inadequacies of the state capacity in-terms of human and financial resources to manage natural resources in a sustainable way, which in turn exacerbate natural resource degradation. It was consequently envisaged that giving people stake in the planning and management endeavors would help fill the gap. While the manifestation of this shift in the country started since the mid-1990s, little empirical evidence exists on the value of participatory land use planning in ensuring sustainable management of natural resources. This study provides an account on the way participatory land use planning through Sustainable Land Management (SLM) project in Kilimanjaro region has integrated expert-oriented (GIS) and community-based (PRA) tools as a move towards sustainable land management in the region. Keywords: community viz expert oriented tools, participatory land use planning, sustainable management, Kilimanjaro, Tanzani

On-Site Cost of Gully Erosion and Benefit-Cost of Rehabilitation vs. Establishment of Conservation Measures in the Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania

This study provides empirical justification for prevention of on-site costs of gully erosion so as to raise political and public awareness of the impacts of land degradation and significance of sustainable land management from an economic perspective in the Kilimanjaro Region. In the context of this paper, the on-site cost of gully erosion is about TZS 82.61 million ha-1 and TZS 82.22 million ha-1 respectively assuming maize, a staple in the Kilimanjaro Region and sunflower, a commercial crop are grown. From an economic perspective, it is more viable to establish soil-erosion control structures than gully rehabilitation. The average benefit-cost ratios for the latter are almost three times as much as for the former if maize is grown, but two times more in the case of sunflower. These results support the old adage that says “prevention is better than cure”. This information is of particular significance because some decision-makers and land-users have inadequate knowledge of the need for preventing soil loss from an economic viewpoint. They contend that the durability of rehabilitation interventions outweighs the short-term gains of investing in soil-erosion control structures. Considering that land in the region is being degraded by soil erosion, while the rest is vulnerable because of physical factors and anthropogenic activities, it would be prudent of decision-makers especially to support sustainable land management initiatives that aim at controlling soil loss instead of rehabilitation after vast amounts of land are rendered unproductive due to soil loss. Keywords: on-site cost, empirical evidence, rehabilitation, conservation measures, crop

Between a rock and a hard place: the need for and challenges to implementation of Rights Based Fisheries Management in small-scale fisheries of Southern Lake Malawi

There has been a decline in commercially valuable fish species, especially the Chambo (Oreochromis spp.), in southern Lake Malawi. Although there might be lack of reliable and scientifically backed evidence, most experts and experienced fishers concur that productivity of most fish stocks in the area is much below par compared to their productivity about two to three decades ago. This leads to the hypotheses that the fish stocks are generally over-exploited. This trend will continue or their productivity will remain at these depressed levels unless appropriate measures are taken. This article argues that Rights Based Management (RBM) could hold the best hope for moving towards sustainable fisheries management in the southern Lake Malawi (Southeast and Southwest Arms) area while recognizing the need for a broad human rights approach for fishing communities. Even then, the implementation of the RBM approach will not be easy given the historical developmental open access management approach and general unorganized characteristics of the small-scale fisheries sector. Of note is that co-management was introduced in area in the early millennium as part of attempts to strengthen user fishing rights, local accountability and stewardship—with mixed results