Unlocking resilient benefits from African water resources
Lead Research Organisation:
Rhodes University
Department Name: Institute for Water Research
Abstract
Sustainable water resource development remains elusive because development has largely externalized costs to the environment and vulnerable people. There is a need for novel research theory, methodologies & practice in order to meet the UN SDGs and realise the Africa Water Vision 2025. We propose to launch an innovative research approach: the Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA). Our aim is to apply transformative, transdisciplinary, community-engaged research, to shift water development outcomes towards achieving the SDGs. We focus on continental water development priorities: water supply and pollution.
This collaboration brings together the ARUA Water Centre of Excellence (CoE) and UK partner, the University of Sheffield (UoS). The 8 CoE nodes are: i) Addis Ababa U, Ethiopia; U Rwanda, Rwanda; U Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal; Dar es Salaam U, Tanzania, Makerere U, Uganda (DAC least developed); ii) U Lagos, Nigeria (DAC lower-middle income); and iii) U Cape Town, Rhodes U (CoE Hub), South Africa (DAC upper-middle income).
We propose a country-based Case Study structure to support local research development and pathways to local impact (Figure 1 in Case for Support). We use an SDG6 (water and sanitation) centred model, that links SDGs related to landscape water resources with SDGs related to water services. (This model underpins the successful UKRI:GCRF Capability Grant:"Water for African SDGs"). We raise three research questions (RQ) related to water development priorities. Three catchment-based Case Studies address RQ1: HOW IS WATER USED, TO WHOSE BENEFIT? (Rufigi R Tanzania, Senegal R Senegal, and Blue Nile R Ethiopia). Two Case Studies focus on urban water pollution (Kampala City Uganda and Lagos City Nigeria), addressing RQ2: WHAT ARE THE SOURCES, PATHWAYS AND IMPACT OF POLLUTION IN URBAN WATER SYSTEMS? A cross-cutting Case Study addresses water resource protection and biodiversity in all CSs, and a biodiversity site in Rwanda.
By the completion of the project we commit to leaving local people effectively linked with institutions making decisions about water that affect them. Therefore all Case Studies address the question RQ3: HOW CAN LOCAL CAPACITY TO ENGAGE IN PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE BE DEVELOPED FOR: I) EQUITABLE WATER SHARING, II) COMMUNITY POLLUTION RESILIENCE, AND III) ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION AND RESTORATION?
The novel Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA) provides a coherent methodological framework that will support Case Study comparisons, changed water development practice, and will embed pathways to impact throughout the project. The ASA requires engaged research, and draws on three core theoretical concepts, with associated methods: Complex Social-Ecological Systems, Transdisciplinarity, and Transformative Social Learning (Elaborated in Case for Support).
These concepts underpin four ASA steps, followed in each Case Study: 1. BOUND: Researchers engage with a full range of stakeholders to identify a relevant, local, water-development issue, and scope the Case Study. 2. ADAPTIVE PLANNING PROCESS: Stakeholders co-create a contextually informed vision of the future state of their selected local issue, and co-develop an objectives hierarchy to move towards resolving the issue. 3. CONCURRENT ACTIVITIES 3.1 RESEARCH Each Case study team addresses the specific research questions, delivering data for resolving the problem. 3.2 PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE DEVELOPMENT Local people, formal, and traditional, water governance institutions together move towards local people being part of land and water decision-making. 3.3 STRATEGIC ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT (SAM) - stakeholders will be trained in a process for systemic, responsive, contextual, co-management. 4. PARTICIPATORY MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF REFLEXIVE LEARNING Researchers and stakeholders co-develop indicators, co-monitor, co-reflect on progress, co-learn and adapt, using SAM.
Following the ASA in the case studies embeds the theory of change, and the pathways to impact.
This collaboration brings together the ARUA Water Centre of Excellence (CoE) and UK partner, the University of Sheffield (UoS). The 8 CoE nodes are: i) Addis Ababa U, Ethiopia; U Rwanda, Rwanda; U Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal; Dar es Salaam U, Tanzania, Makerere U, Uganda (DAC least developed); ii) U Lagos, Nigeria (DAC lower-middle income); and iii) U Cape Town, Rhodes U (CoE Hub), South Africa (DAC upper-middle income).
We propose a country-based Case Study structure to support local research development and pathways to local impact (Figure 1 in Case for Support). We use an SDG6 (water and sanitation) centred model, that links SDGs related to landscape water resources with SDGs related to water services. (This model underpins the successful UKRI:GCRF Capability Grant:"Water for African SDGs"). We raise three research questions (RQ) related to water development priorities. Three catchment-based Case Studies address RQ1: HOW IS WATER USED, TO WHOSE BENEFIT? (Rufigi R Tanzania, Senegal R Senegal, and Blue Nile R Ethiopia). Two Case Studies focus on urban water pollution (Kampala City Uganda and Lagos City Nigeria), addressing RQ2: WHAT ARE THE SOURCES, PATHWAYS AND IMPACT OF POLLUTION IN URBAN WATER SYSTEMS? A cross-cutting Case Study addresses water resource protection and biodiversity in all CSs, and a biodiversity site in Rwanda.
By the completion of the project we commit to leaving local people effectively linked with institutions making decisions about water that affect them. Therefore all Case Studies address the question RQ3: HOW CAN LOCAL CAPACITY TO ENGAGE IN PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE BE DEVELOPED FOR: I) EQUITABLE WATER SHARING, II) COMMUNITY POLLUTION RESILIENCE, AND III) ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION AND RESTORATION?
The novel Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA) provides a coherent methodological framework that will support Case Study comparisons, changed water development practice, and will embed pathways to impact throughout the project. The ASA requires engaged research, and draws on three core theoretical concepts, with associated methods: Complex Social-Ecological Systems, Transdisciplinarity, and Transformative Social Learning (Elaborated in Case for Support).
These concepts underpin four ASA steps, followed in each Case Study: 1. BOUND: Researchers engage with a full range of stakeholders to identify a relevant, local, water-development issue, and scope the Case Study. 2. ADAPTIVE PLANNING PROCESS: Stakeholders co-create a contextually informed vision of the future state of their selected local issue, and co-develop an objectives hierarchy to move towards resolving the issue. 3. CONCURRENT ACTIVITIES 3.1 RESEARCH Each Case study team addresses the specific research questions, delivering data for resolving the problem. 3.2 PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE DEVELOPMENT Local people, formal, and traditional, water governance institutions together move towards local people being part of land and water decision-making. 3.3 STRATEGIC ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT (SAM) - stakeholders will be trained in a process for systemic, responsive, contextual, co-management. 4. PARTICIPATORY MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF REFLEXIVE LEARNING Researchers and stakeholders co-develop indicators, co-monitor, co-reflect on progress, co-learn and adapt, using SAM.
Following the ASA in the case studies embeds the theory of change, and the pathways to impact.
Planned Impact
In this project, ASSURED impacts are new, empowering knowledge shared among stakeholders, and relationships, co-governance and co-management tools that will outlive the project. Clearly defined pathways to developmental impact are built into the research methodology. Academic (publication, conference, active research networks) and policy impacts (practice and policy for a like AMCOW are detailed in Pathways to Impact). LIKELY impacts: economic benefit from fairer water access for local people; lower health risks because of better pollution management; and a demonstration of a new way of undertaking developmental research that supports greater equity and sustainability.
The Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA) is the methodology that that underpins this project. Engaged research facilitates relationship-building among project researchers and STAKEHOLDERS, who are the BENEFICIARIES. Stakeholders include local residents and communities, non-governmental organisations, civil society, private enterprise, and formal water management institutions at all levels of government.
ASA steps ensure stakeholder benefit: Step 1. As each Case Study is BOUND, researchers team and stakeholders decide on the problem scope. This means stakeholders have clear, realistic expectations of project benefits, and reduces the risk of extractive research. Step 2. In the ADAPTIVE PLANNING PROCESS, stakeholders recognise they have a shared future, and collectively build a vision of resolving the selected water problem, and a pathway to reach that desired future. Thus, benefits of addressing the problem in a clear agreed manner, using research expertise, are formally agreed. Indicators of progress are agreed, embedding accountability. Step 3 involves concurrent processes: 3.1 The RESEARCH activities that will provide findings to address the problem. 3.2 PARTICPATORY GOVERNANCE DEVELOPMENT is the focussed process of linking local people facing the problem, with the people mandated to manage the problem. 3.3 STRATEGIC ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT is an essential tool for stakeholders, because the context of complex problems changes through time, and there are multiple causal loops. This tool provides a mechanism for responsively moving towards the agreed desired future. Step 4. In PARTICIPATORY MONITORING AND EVALUATION FOR REFLEXIVE LEARNING, both researchers and stakeholders monitor the indicators selected in Step 2. At each project engagement, participants reflect on and learn from progress in terms of these indicators. When local people "own" the process of positive change the chances are local people will continue to collaborate accountably after the project.
In Senegal and Tanzania, local people specified in the project Case for Support, will have access to sound knowledge about who gets, and uses, what water, how and when. In Ethiopia, specified local people will benefit when landscape restoration outcomes are improved by a better understanding of surface-shallow ground water interactions. New data will support a water- resource management model, useful in negotiating contestations. Fair access to water is a primary driver of economic enterprise and benefit. Common livelihood options that will be supported include livestock production and vegetable and other crop-based agriculture. Effective water resource management contributes to food security. Hydro-power is a complicating factor in all three water supply Case Studies; benefits that accrue to local people compared with distant people, and inevitable power differentials.
In Kampala and Lagos city local people specified in the project Case for Support will benefit from improved pollution management, and from understanding how to become resilient in the face of pollution risks. There are evident health benefits from lower pollution exposure particularly to vulnerable groups like the elderly and children, and effective pollution management reduces water treatment costs and stimulates economies.
The Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA) is the methodology that that underpins this project. Engaged research facilitates relationship-building among project researchers and STAKEHOLDERS, who are the BENEFICIARIES. Stakeholders include local residents and communities, non-governmental organisations, civil society, private enterprise, and formal water management institutions at all levels of government.
ASA steps ensure stakeholder benefit: Step 1. As each Case Study is BOUND, researchers team and stakeholders decide on the problem scope. This means stakeholders have clear, realistic expectations of project benefits, and reduces the risk of extractive research. Step 2. In the ADAPTIVE PLANNING PROCESS, stakeholders recognise they have a shared future, and collectively build a vision of resolving the selected water problem, and a pathway to reach that desired future. Thus, benefits of addressing the problem in a clear agreed manner, using research expertise, are formally agreed. Indicators of progress are agreed, embedding accountability. Step 3 involves concurrent processes: 3.1 The RESEARCH activities that will provide findings to address the problem. 3.2 PARTICPATORY GOVERNANCE DEVELOPMENT is the focussed process of linking local people facing the problem, with the people mandated to manage the problem. 3.3 STRATEGIC ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT is an essential tool for stakeholders, because the context of complex problems changes through time, and there are multiple causal loops. This tool provides a mechanism for responsively moving towards the agreed desired future. Step 4. In PARTICIPATORY MONITORING AND EVALUATION FOR REFLEXIVE LEARNING, both researchers and stakeholders monitor the indicators selected in Step 2. At each project engagement, participants reflect on and learn from progress in terms of these indicators. When local people "own" the process of positive change the chances are local people will continue to collaborate accountably after the project.
In Senegal and Tanzania, local people specified in the project Case for Support, will have access to sound knowledge about who gets, and uses, what water, how and when. In Ethiopia, specified local people will benefit when landscape restoration outcomes are improved by a better understanding of surface-shallow ground water interactions. New data will support a water- resource management model, useful in negotiating contestations. Fair access to water is a primary driver of economic enterprise and benefit. Common livelihood options that will be supported include livestock production and vegetable and other crop-based agriculture. Effective water resource management contributes to food security. Hydro-power is a complicating factor in all three water supply Case Studies; benefits that accrue to local people compared with distant people, and inevitable power differentials.
In Kampala and Lagos city local people specified in the project Case for Support will benefit from improved pollution management, and from understanding how to become resilient in the face of pollution risks. There are evident health benefits from lower pollution exposure particularly to vulnerable groups like the elderly and children, and effective pollution management reduces water treatment costs and stimulates economies.
Organisations
- Rhodes University (Lead Research Organisation)
- Makerere University (Collaboration)
- South African National Biodiversity Institute (Collaboration)
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) (Collaboration)
- The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation (Collaboration)
- HARAMAYA UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- Lagos State Government (Collaboration)
- N8 Universities (Collaboration)
- Cardiff University (Collaboration)
- University of Ljubljana (Collaboration)
- South African Environmental Observation Network (Collaboration)
- Uganda Martyrs University (Collaboration)
- University of Cape Town (Collaboration)
Publications
Biggs R
(2022)
Social-ecological change: insights from the Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society
in Ecosystems and People
Januchowski-Hartley SR
(2022)
Supporting proactive planning for climate change adaptation and conservation using an attributed road-river structure dataset.
in Journal of environmental management
Palmer C
(2023)
The Adaptive Systemic Approach: Catalysing more just and sustainable outcomes from sustainability and natural resources development research
in River Research and Applications
Ssewankambo G
(2023)
Assessing soil erosion risk in a peri-urban catchment of the Lake Victoria basin.
in Modeling earth systems and environment
Twaha R
(2024)
Delineating groundwater potential zones with GIS and analytic hierarchy process techniques: the case of Great Ruaha River catchment, Tanzania
in Hydrogeology Journal
Title | DST Access to water and agriculture in rural communities in Lake Guiers, Senegal |
Description | Ms Rokhaya Diop, a Research Assistant from Senegal node, created this short Digital Storytelling (DST) video as part of the skills development DST class for Early Career Researcher held online in August 2021. The course was facilitated by the Rhodes University's Community Engagement unit. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Impact | This product is being used for stakeholder engagements under the Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA) process that underlies the Research Excellence grant. The aim of the Capacity Building exercise was to transfer skills to the node to use storytelling videos for engagement. |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leG7U5BaLG0&list=PLVIqMbfShhRpPNH4yUfzjUBbXqIU3Yc4h&index=6 |
Title | DST Can Nature Heal Itself? A Tale of a Little Catchment in Franschoek, South Africa |
Description | Ms Naledi Chere, a Research Assistant from the University of Cape Town node, created this short Digital Storytelling (DST) video as part of the skills development DST class for Early Career Researcher held online in August 2021. The course was facilitated by the Rhodes University's Community Engagement unit. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Impact | This product is being used for stakeholder engagements under the Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA) process that underlies the Research Excellence grant. The aim of the Capacity Building exercise was to transfer skills to the node to use storytelling videos for engagement. |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z4qg3LDumE&list=PLVIqMbfShhRpPNH4yUfzjUBbXqIU3Yc4h&index=4 |
Title | DST Groundwater pollution from a dumpsite in Lagos, Nigeria |
Description | Dr Oluwasola Oribayo, an ECR from the Lagos node, created this short Digital Storytelling (DST) video as part of the skills development DST class for Early Career Researcher held online in August 2021. The course was facilitated by the Rhodes University's Community Engagement unit. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Impact | This product is being used for stakeholder engagements under the Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA) process that underlies the Research Excellence grant. The aim of the Capacity Building exercise was to transfer skills to the node to use storytelling videos for engagement. |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RN958Zyk-0&list=PLVIqMbfShhRpPNH4yUfzjUBbXqIU3Yc4h |
Title | DST Hope for solving a water crisis in Makhanda City, South Africa |
Description | Dr Rebecca Powell, an ECR from Rhodes University node, created this short Digital Storytelling (DST) video as part of the skills development DST class for Early Career Researcher held online in August 2021. The course was facilitated by the Rhodes University's Community Engagement unit. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Impact | This product highlights the issues in the town of Grahamstown which hosts Rhodes University, and the video may be used for stakeholder engagements. The aim of the Capacity Building exercise was to transfer skills to the node to use storytelling videos for engagement. |
Title | DST Participatory governance in the Tsitsa Project, South Arica |
Description | Dr Notiswa Libala, an ECR from Rhodes University node, created this short Digital Storytelling (DST) video as part of the skills development DST class for Early Career Researcher held online in August 2021. The course was facilitated by the Rhodes University's Community Engagement unit. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Impact | This product maybe be used for stakeholder engagements about the Tsitsa Project in South Africa. The aim of the Capacity Building exercise was to transfer skills to the node to use storytelling videos for engagement. |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSdQfDFcUmM&list=PLVIqMbfShhRpPNH4yUfzjUBbXqIU3Yc4h&index=7 |
Title | DST Pollution in the Murchison Bay, Kampala City, Uganda: A call to action |
Description | Dr Prossie Nakawuka, an ECR from the Uganda node, created this short Digital Storytelling (DST) video as part of the skills development DST class for Early Career Researcher held online in August 2021. The course was facilitated by the Rhodes University's Community Engagement unit. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Impact | This product is being used for stakeholder engagements under the Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA) process that underlies the Research Excellence grant. The aim of the Capacity Building exercise was to transfer skills to the node to use storytelling videos for engagement. |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpkj9yGj7Tc&list=PLVIqMbfShhRpPNH4yUfzjUBbXqIU3Yc4h&index=2 |
Title | DST Water allocation sustainability in Rufigi Basin, Tanzania |
Description | Dr Augustina Alexander, an ECR from Tanzania node, created this short Digital Storytelling (DST) video as part of the skills development DST class for Early Career Researcher held online in August 2021. The course was facilitated by the Rhodes University's Community Engagement unit. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Impact | This product is being used for stakeholder engagements under the Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA) process that underlies the Research Excellence grant. The aim of the Capacity Building exercise was to transfer skills to the node to use storytelling videos for engagement. |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8doCsWetNp8&list=PLVIqMbfShhRpPNH4yUfzjUBbXqIU3Yc4h&index=5 |
Title | DST Water quality monitoring using algae as bioindicators in the Akagera River and its wetlands in Rwanda |
Description | Mr Alphonse Nzarora, an ECR from the Rwanda node, created this short Digital Storytelling (DST) video as part of the skills development DST class for Early Career Researcher held online in August 2021. The course was facilitated by the Rhodes University's Community Engagement unit. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Impact | This product is being used for stakeholder engagements under the Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA) process that underlies the Research Excellence grant. The aim of the Capacity Building exercise was to transfer skills to the node to use storytelling videos for engagement. |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wud8H5plXc&list=PLVIqMbfShhRpPNH4yUfzjUBbXqIU3Yc4h&index=3 |
Description | The project consisted of six proposed project Case Studies that exemplify water-related challenges across Africa, and support progress towards SDG 6, the core water-related goal. In addition to the six Case Studies, there are three South African learning sites (University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Cape Town and Rhodes University) that have provided insights and learning opportunities related to Case Studies. The African Node research projects have contributed to addressing SDG 6: water supply and sanitation, and therefore contributing to African SDGs related to water. The research projects have worked on critical questions around improved water quality in African cities and improvement in management of water resources use and development across several large river catchments in Africa. All case study partners developed the background document (BOUND document) and research methodology and they connected with stakeholders. All six case study nodes have also had their ADAPTIVE PLANNING PROCESS (APP) and STATEGIC ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT (SAM) workshops that help bring the stakeholders together in defining the Vision and Challenges and decide on the question that the node team focused on, and the next steps. This question relates to sustainable water resources management and development in selected African river basins. The two nodes that were slightly behind in the last reporting (which were affected by the situation in the Ethiopia due to the conflict or by the team experiencing loss of the Co-Investigator) have very hard to catch up with the other nodes despite the issues. You can read the details of the workshops on the Water CoE News page https://www.ru.ac.za/iwr/centres/aruacoe/news/. The CoIs on the team, have reported certain key findings resulting from the work, some of which we report below (paraphrased from their inputs): a) Stakeholders appreciated how different the ASA process was from other research they have been involved. They liked the elements of co-creating the vision and the platform to interact with different levels of stakeholders. Stakeholders at the different levels are very willing to be part of the solution; each stakeholder has a critical role to play. Bringing stakeholders earlier on in the project shapes the solution to one that can easily be socially accepted, and thus be easily adopted. b) The RESBEN project has enabled the Cape Town Living Lab to frame and apply a sustainability transition involving the co-evolution of change in a catchment where bottom up (local community interests) and top down (local authority) inertia is being facilitated by leadership, management and demonstrations at the Water Hub and outside the boundaries of the site. We are learning that transitions take time, require researchers and research to demonstrate the potential to change, and are necessary to disrupt the status quo. We are learning to work with risk and uncertainty. c) Good Governance is key for sustainable water resources management. Stakeholders have a better understanding of their problem and therefore a big contribution in finding solution that works for them. Therefore continued engagement with stakeholder can bring about sustainable management of water resources d) Integration is strategic and requires thinking big. The Strategic Adaptive Management was the fist workshop to bring together stakeholders in water resources management form different Governmental and Non-governmental institutions and representatives of local communities as well. Widening the network of stakeholders and interest groups and being open / invitation has generated new interest, creativity and ideas to expand on existing solutions in co-evolving project. |
Exploitation Route | The CoE has actively, thoughtfully and cooperatively (through multiple discussion meetings) adjusted the plan for project implementation considering the COVID restrictions. The use of blended events and inclusion of all team members in adaptation of the delivery of the project has been a learning experience for all team members. Secondly, the increased capacity of the CoE nodes to work with their stakeholders during workshops has been a significant shift from the original plan (Adaptation and Learning). We have also been adaptive in terms of project outputs and opportunities that have arisen. Due to the project funding cuts, we shifted the output of stakeholder participatory governance to that of stakeholder participatory capacity development, which is essentially a first experience for stakeholders of participating fairly. One of the team postdocs has also used the Value Creation framework (which is a mode of Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation of Reflexive Learning PMERL) to develop a methodology to generate a fine grained and nuanced understanding of value catalysed by the Project beyond what was outlined in the objectives and what was promised as deliverables. We have also worked on bringing together natural and social science research being conducted by the various case study countries. |
Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Education Environment |
URL | https://www.ru.ac.za/iwr/centres/aruacoe/ |
Description | The grant has created a critical mass of researchers who can contribute to addressing economic and societal challenges related to water quality and supply and sustainable water resources management in the African countries. There has been capacity building of research teams in water management issues and links to social science. This capacity and awareness have been extended to local communities and water resources management agencies. The most significant contribution of the grant is to SDG6: ensure availability and sustainable management of water supply and sanitation for all. However, there are linked contributions to SDGs 3,8,11,12,13 and 17. Following the interactions between the Water CoE Hub and the Nodes across Africa during 2020 and 2021 that were primarily online, we held two trainings at the Hub (which were blended events) and travel of Hub postdocs to the node countries to assist with running their Adaptive Planning Process and Strategic Adaptive Management workshops in six countries in 2021 and 2022. The increased capacity of the CoE nodes to work with their stakeholders during workshops (from 2021 to 2023) has been a significant shift from the original plan which was intended to have the Hub team running the workshops. The Hub postdocs (who have travelled to node countries) and the Research Assistants in general have been the primary mediators between ground level stakeholders who would have limited or no access to digital technology. The Digital Storytelling workshops were well received as a capacity building activity by the Early Career Researchers who appreciated that they are now able to create their own videos. The Safeguarding workshops created a sense of equality, awareness and agency in the various levels of researchers and Research Assistants. The success of the storytelling workshops was highlighted in the popular article https://theconversation.com/digital-storytelling-can-be-a-powerful-tool-for-water-researchers-189322 that was followed by a radio interview of Dr Powell shared here https://omny.fm/shows/the-upside/how-digital-storytelling-can-be-a-powerful-tool-fo Some of relevant feedback from node CoIs on impact was: a. We have initiated the integration of local community members in the group key stakeholders in catchment management. (Rwanda node) b. We have introduced participatory governance approach in water resources management and equipped key stakeholders and researchers with adaptive strategies when it comes to water resources challenges and crisis. We have also developed tool for water allocation which will aid decision making in water allocation (Tanzania node) c. Through the project, the following vision of community members in the Learning Watersheds was developed: Realize holistic development anf sustainable utilization of the watersheds by the local community by 2025 Ethiopian calendar is very encouraging and gratifying (Ethiopia) |
First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Environment |
Impact Types | Societal Policy & public services |
Description | LAGOS: Lagos state WASH policy |
Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Impact | Reduction of indiscriminate waste disposal by the stakeholders has enhanced the economic and social impacts of the stakeholders Related SDG 4, 6, 8 Local community fishing and fish selling were enhanced and access to clean water enhanced Children , old aged people and people with disabilities were considered in the programme |
Description | LAGOS: Willingness of government Officials to collaborate |
Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | RWANDA: Biodiversity and Water Quality |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Description | SENEGAL: Citizen Science |
Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Impact | Apart from the implementation of the participatory governance processes through APP and SAM, the people of Mbane commun were invited to participate in "Citizen Science" for monitoring the Water quality degradation of the Lake. We provided them with scientific Kits to measure the physicochemical parameters of the Lake and implemented a Database for the data collection. |
Description | Dr Tessema: ARUA / Carnegie Early Career Research Fellowship |
Amount | $30,000 (USD) |
Funding ID | 1 Year fellowship to be based at ARUA Water CoE Hub |
Organisation | Carnegie Corporation of New York |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United States |
Start | 09/2021 |
End | 09/2022 |
Description | EACEA Erasmus+ Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education |
Amount | € 799,997 (EUR) |
Funding ID | Project 101128758 |
Organisation | European Commission |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start | 02/2024 |
End | 01/2027 |
Description | UCT learning site: Nature Engineered Urban design for Water Recycling |
Amount | € 250,000 (EUR) |
Organisation | German Federal Ministry of Education and Research |
Sector | Public |
Country | Germany |
Start | 03/2022 |
End | 05/2023 |
Title | Adaptive Systemic Approach: A novel methodology for driving shifts towards sustainable and equitable water development |
Description | The Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA) is the methodology that underpins the Research Excellence project, which is being applied in six case studies, supported by 3 learning sites. Engaged research facilitates relationship-building among project researchers and stakeholders, who are the beneficiaries. The stakeholders include local residents and communities, non-governmental organisations, civil society, private enterprise, and formal water management institutions at all levels of government. The ASA steps ensure stakeholder benefit: Step 1. As each Case Study is BOUND, the researchers' team and stakeholders decide on the problem scope. This means stakeholders have clear, realistic expectations of project benefits, and reduces the risk of extractive research. Step 2. In the ADAPTIVE PLANNING PROCESS, stakeholders recognise they have a shared future, and collectively build a vision of resolving the selected water problem, and a pathway to reach that desired future. Thus, benefits of addressing the problem in a clear agreed manner, using research expertise, are formally agreed. Indicators of progress are agreed, embedding accountability. Step 3 involves concurrent processes: 3.1 The RESEARCH activities that will provide findings to address the problem. 3.2 PARTICPATORY GOVERNANCE DEVELOPMENT is the focused process of linking local people facing the problem, with the people mandated to manage the problem. 3.3 STRATEGIC ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT is an essential tool for stakeholders, because the context of complex problems changes through time, and there are multiple causal loops. This tool provides a mechanism for responsively moving towards the agreed desired future. Step 4. In PARTICIPATORY MONITORING AND EVALUATION FOR REFLEXIVE LEARNING, both researchers and stakeholders monitor the indicators selected in Step 2. At each project engagement, participants reflect on and learn from progress in terms of these indicators. When local people "own" the process of positive change the chances are local people will continue to collaborate accountably after the project. The ASA methodology has been adapted during the current Research Excellence grant due to issues related to COVID-19. This is one of the strengths of this methodology. |
Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | The ASA methodology is in the process of review and should be published in a peer-reviewed journal in the upcoming year. All the project activities and outputs listed in the different tabs of ResearchFish and the MEL report are all related to the application of the ASA methodology. The Theory of Change in the MEL report of March 2022 provides an overview of the impacts. The following five project outputs are the focus of implementation of the Theory of Change through research, workshops and value creation activities: 1. Bound reports for each CS identifying the local land and water management issue to address and the key stakeholders involved 2. Adaptive Planning Process (APP) reflection / outcomes report for each CS 3. Policy briefs and academic publications 4. Participatory governance capacity development and SAM objectives hierarchy for each CS 5. A Value Creation report on co-learning outcomes. So far, the project has delivered on Outputs 1 (complete) with partial delivery on Outputs 2, 3, 4 and 5. |
Title | Value Creation questionnaire for evaluating benefits from ASA workshops |
Description | Output #5 reported in the MEL report for the Research Excellence project (March 2022) is a Value Creation report on co-learning outcomes. Dr Matthew Weaver of the Hub team is leading evaluative research with and of the RESBEN project. The research he is leading is entitled: "Exploring the impact of learning catalysed from participation in the Resilient Benefits Project: A value creation approach". This project output aims to explore the value catalysed for coordinators, facilitators, participants and stakeholders from their participation in the Project. We understand value as individual and collective experiential, potential, application, impact, enabling, transformative and strategic benefits gained by participants through their engagement in the Project. The method for gathering the input is based on the Value Creation Framework created by Wenger, Trayner and others. The purpose of the Value Creation reflection forms that are administered after each workshop is to gather information on how the participants (all stakeholders) benefitted from attending the workshop. The form also provides the project team with feedback to help improve how we run similar workshops in the future. The identity of the individual remains anonymous in any publication and reporting of contributions. |
Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | To date, a total of approximately 200 value creation survey reflections have been collected from project engagements. Currently, the research team is in the process of conducting additional key informant interviews and concurrent data analysis, and a draft manuscript is in the process. Data analysis is also in process in terms of value creation theory. The following paper is in preparation: Weaver MJT, Henriksson R, Nxumalo N and Palmer CG (in prep) Exploring the impact of learning catalysed from participation in the Resilient Benefits Project: A value creation approach. |
Description | ARUA - GUILD Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) |
Organisation | Makerere University |
Country | Uganda |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | ARUA has partnered with The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities and have established a close partnership, at the heart of which has been a joint appreciation that we can and must address global challenges affecting the African and European continents much more effectively if we develop new, long-term partnerships based on equity. A call to host Clusters of Excellence was released and the ARUA CoE and IWR partnered with the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia and proposed a Cluster of Excellence in Water Resource Management (WRM) for a Sustainable and Just Future. We were particularly thrilled to be awarded this new Cluster of Excellence and look forward to fruitful research with our large team of partners. |
Collaborator Contribution | The ARUA Board approved the selection of 6 ARUA Centres of Excellence to be awarded grants for the design of Pilot Collaborative PhD Programmes. The selection was based on the assessment of proposals submitted by 9 of the 13 ARUA CoEs. The assessment/scoring was done by ARUA DVCs for Research. The selected CoEs will receive a grant of $5,000 to be used in engaging consultants/resource persons in the design of collaborative PhD Programmes, which will be reviewed and accepted by the ARUA Board at their meeting scheduled in May 2024. Again, this award highlights the continuing success of the Water CoE within the ARUA network. |
Impact | The consortium has developed a proposal for the Cluster of Excellence in WRM for a Sustainable and Just Future, which focuses on exploring different solutions, learning opportunities/exchanges & pathways to innovation, policy and investment in WRM in Africa and Europe, and solutions that build long-term and meaningful capacity within WRM. |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | ARUA - GUILD Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) |
Organisation | University of Cape Town |
Country | South Africa |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | ARUA has partnered with The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities and have established a close partnership, at the heart of which has been a joint appreciation that we can and must address global challenges affecting the African and European continents much more effectively if we develop new, long-term partnerships based on equity. A call to host Clusters of Excellence was released and the ARUA CoE and IWR partnered with the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia and proposed a Cluster of Excellence in Water Resource Management (WRM) for a Sustainable and Just Future. We were particularly thrilled to be awarded this new Cluster of Excellence and look forward to fruitful research with our large team of partners. |
Collaborator Contribution | The ARUA Board approved the selection of 6 ARUA Centres of Excellence to be awarded grants for the design of Pilot Collaborative PhD Programmes. The selection was based on the assessment of proposals submitted by 9 of the 13 ARUA CoEs. The assessment/scoring was done by ARUA DVCs for Research. The selected CoEs will receive a grant of $5,000 to be used in engaging consultants/resource persons in the design of collaborative PhD Programmes, which will be reviewed and accepted by the ARUA Board at their meeting scheduled in May 2024. Again, this award highlights the continuing success of the Water CoE within the ARUA network. |
Impact | The consortium has developed a proposal for the Cluster of Excellence in WRM for a Sustainable and Just Future, which focuses on exploring different solutions, learning opportunities/exchanges & pathways to innovation, policy and investment in WRM in Africa and Europe, and solutions that build long-term and meaningful capacity within WRM. |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | ARUA - GUILD Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) |
Organisation | University of Ljubljana |
Country | Slovenia |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | ARUA has partnered with The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities and have established a close partnership, at the heart of which has been a joint appreciation that we can and must address global challenges affecting the African and European continents much more effectively if we develop new, long-term partnerships based on equity. A call to host Clusters of Excellence was released and the ARUA CoE and IWR partnered with the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia and proposed a Cluster of Excellence in Water Resource Management (WRM) for a Sustainable and Just Future. We were particularly thrilled to be awarded this new Cluster of Excellence and look forward to fruitful research with our large team of partners. |
Collaborator Contribution | The ARUA Board approved the selection of 6 ARUA Centres of Excellence to be awarded grants for the design of Pilot Collaborative PhD Programmes. The selection was based on the assessment of proposals submitted by 9 of the 13 ARUA CoEs. The assessment/scoring was done by ARUA DVCs for Research. The selected CoEs will receive a grant of $5,000 to be used in engaging consultants/resource persons in the design of collaborative PhD Programmes, which will be reviewed and accepted by the ARUA Board at their meeting scheduled in May 2024. Again, this award highlights the continuing success of the Water CoE within the ARUA network. |
Impact | The consortium has developed a proposal for the Cluster of Excellence in WRM for a Sustainable and Just Future, which focuses on exploring different solutions, learning opportunities/exchanges & pathways to innovation, policy and investment in WRM in Africa and Europe, and solutions that build long-term and meaningful capacity within WRM. |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | CoE - Cardiff University |
Organisation | Cardiff University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Prof. Tally Palmer has agreed to be on the panel for two upcoming international Webinars being orgniased by Dr Adrian Healy. These are titled: • A discussion of novel methodologies for remote research and collaborative research where partners are distanced from each other and what this means for equitable partnerships (April 2021) • A discussion event to discuss the future of the resilience agenda in debates around the GCRF and UKRI (to which we'll invite the UKRI Resilience challenge leads) (July 2021) |
Collaborator Contribution | Dr Adrian Healy is an economic geographer, and a distinguished researcher from Cardiff University with interest in political economy of urban water, and the more specific context of household resilience in the face of uncertain, inadequate and/or absent service provision of safe potable water. Cardiff is a member of the research-strong Russell Group of UK universities. Dr Healy has connected with the ARUA Water CoE to explore the possibilities of collaboration. He has accepted a place on the ARUA Water CoE Board. He is also organising various webinars in which Water CoE members and also the ECRs will be involved in a future symposium possibly in November 2021`. |
Impact | Dr Healy has accepted a place on the ARUA Water CoE Board. We met with him online in December 2021. |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | CoE - UK N8 Universities |
Organisation | N8 Universities |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The Water CoE has engaged actively with UK N8 University Research Managers and researcher in Ghana, Kampala and Nairobi from 2017. As a result, 20 delegates travelled to Sheffield University for a collaborative N8-ARUA Water CoE Research Workshop, 14 October 2018. We shared research profiles and areas of common interest and the N8 subsequently agreed to make funding available for N8 researchers to collaborate with Water CoE capacity development and research. As a result, four UK researchers participated in the first Capacity Building grant training / core course. Since late 2021, we have been in discussion with Dr Claire Walsh about a Virtual Seminar Series which will be started in April 2022. The first event will include a presentation by the Water CoE Co-Director, Dr Jane Tanner. |
Collaborator Contribution | Dr Claire Walsh, from Newcastle University invited Prof Tally Palmer to present a Plenary Paper at the Newcastle University H7O Global Water Security Symposium 23-24 January 2020. Second, Dr Anna Brown who is an International Research Development Manager at Durham University, met Prof Tally Palmer through the UK N8 University meetings. Dr Walsh recently informed us about the Newcastle Centre for Water which has recently been recognised as a University Centre of Research Excellence. This Centre will span across all our faculties and will build upon 70 years of research strength and impact in water research. The launch of the Centre will be on 25th April and it will be attended by both Dr Tanner and Dr Mantel. |
Impact | Dr Claire Walsh, from Newcastle University, invited Prof Tally Palmer to present a Plenary Paper at the Newcastle University H7O Global Water Security Symposium 23-24 January 2020. The paper was entitled: A learning journey of research, policy and practice, the pathway to the Adaptive Systemic Approach. On 22 January 2020, Dr Walsh convened and chaired the first N8-Water CoE colloquium: Developmental research as a catalyst of change towards social-ecological justice. There were 14 delegates present, and 14 participants from five nodes engaged virtually. After a discussion of the ethical implications of developmental research, participants were groups into 3 separate virtual discussions for an hour to pursue a discussion of research interests, before returning to plenary. We have agreed such Colloquia will become a regular feature of N8 Water CoE collaboration. Dr Claire Walsh has invited Dr Jane Tanner to be the first presenter of the Virtual Seminar Series starting in April 2022. |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Makerere University - Water quality testing fellowship |
Organisation | The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation |
Country | United States |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Developing the program for the Uganda node at Makerere University |
Collaborator Contribution | The partners are the funders |
Impact | None yet |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Nigeria node: Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, African Cleanup Initiatives |
Organisation | Lagos State Government |
Country | Nigeria |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, African Cleanup Initiatives Attended the workshop and brought more stakeholders |
Collaborator Contribution | Served as Session Chairman in Program organized by the partner Served as reviewer of the Lagos State Policy on WASH Organised workshop on Environmental and Social Impact Assessment GIS application to Climate Change |
Impact | Outputs - Enhance the stakeholders engagement, policy formulation by government on Water and Sanitation Multidisciplinary in Engineering, Sciences and Social and Management Sciences |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | UDSM - NORHED - Environmental Risk Management under Increasing Extremes and Uncertainty |
Organisation | Haramaya University |
Country | Ethiopia |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | UDSM (Dr Joel Nobert): Developed a joint proposal for funding |
Collaborator Contribution | Joint proposal development for funding |
Impact | Secured funding and the project is expected to start in 2021. Disciplines: Natural and Social Science |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | UDSM - NORHED - Environmental Risk Management under Increasing Extremes and Uncertainty |
Organisation | Makerere University |
Country | Uganda |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | UDSM (Dr Joel Nobert): Developed a joint proposal for funding |
Collaborator Contribution | Joint proposal development for funding |
Impact | Secured funding and the project is expected to start in 2021. Disciplines: Natural and Social Science |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | UDSM - NORHED - Environmental Risk Management under Increasing Extremes and Uncertainty |
Organisation | Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) |
Country | Norway |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | UDSM (Dr Joel Nobert): Developed a joint proposal for funding |
Collaborator Contribution | Joint proposal development for funding |
Impact | Secured funding and the project is expected to start in 2021. Disciplines: Natural and Social Science |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | UDSM - NORHED - Environmental Risk Management under Increasing Extremes and Uncertainty |
Organisation | Uganda Martyrs University |
Country | Uganda |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | UDSM (Dr Joel Nobert): Developed a joint proposal for funding |
Collaborator Contribution | Joint proposal development for funding |
Impact | Secured funding and the project is expected to start in 2021. Disciplines: Natural and Social Science |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | UKZN - Cross-learning across two South African Catchments on power and local water governance |
Organisation | South African National Biodiversity Institute |
Country | South Africa |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) node: Cross-learning with collaborators at Institute of Natural Resources, Mahlathini Development Foundation and South African National Biodiversity Institute (Living Catchment Project) |
Collaborator Contribution | University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) node: Cross-learning with collaborators at Institute of Natural Resources, Mahlathini Development Foundation and South African National Biodiversity Institute (Living Catchment Project) |
Impact | No tangible outputs or outcomes yet |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | UKZN - The Upper uThukela Catchment Partnership |
Organisation | South African Environmental Observation Network |
Country | South Africa |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Convening team is UKZN, Institute of Natural Resources (INR)and Mahlathini Development Foundation (MDF). Collaborating with SAEON/EFTEON and WildTrust. Previously funded by WRC and SANBI Living Catchment Project, but the above mentioned partnership was established on funds from WWF (PepsiCo) UKZN was crucial in bringing in the SAM approach and the framework of inclusive and participatory water governance from OECD into the partnership. Also substantive learnings from a co-learning project on sustainable and equitable water and land management project in two local communities in the catchment. |
Collaborator Contribution | INR provided connections with stakeholders, learnings from field implementations. MDF valuable connections with stakeholders and learnings from field implementations. Wildtrust provided connections with stakeholders and learnings from field implementations. SAEON/EFTEON with needs assessment and data+information of longterm biogeophysical, hydrometerorolgical, biodiversity and social-ecological monitoring, and (potential) contribution of long-term funding to support the partnership. |
Impact | Except from co-learning, cross-learning, networking and connections, only workshop reports. |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Uganda Node: Water Quality Testing Fellowship and Uganda Junior Rangers |
Organisation | The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation |
Country | United States |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | The Uganda node developed and are currently implementing the program for the Uganda unit using funding for the activities provided. The Hilton Africa water quality testing fellowship has been re-funded for the next two years (from 2023). The fellowship is aimed at equipping the node with a water quality testing laboratory and building capacity of students in the node in water quality testing and analysis. Uganda Junior Rangers: Build capacity of communities to be aware and resilient to climate related effects. |
Collaborator Contribution | The Hilton Foundation Aquaya Institute provided Water Quality Testing Fellowship. Ministry of Water and Environment Local Governments - Lira and Kabarole Lira and Kabarole communities Uganda Junior Rangers: we partnered to submit a proposal on climate resilient communities. |
Impact | Modules in water quality testing have been developed. The collaboration is multi-disciplinary and includes: social sciences, natural sciences and socio-economics 30 students trained in water quality testing 8 water quality modules developed The students are being trained using modules developed by the Makerere team and are currently in the districts of Lira and Kabarole collecting data. Prof. Isa Kabenge gave a presentation in a meeting organized by one of the key stakeholders - the Buganda Kingdom's Ministry of Environment - on pollution management as being tackled through the Research Excellence RESBEN project. The node team met stakeholders though a cleanup day - a community initiative that involves sharing environment management knowledge and cleaning up the catchment. The other meeting with the stakeholders was when we held the SAM workshop. Both these meetings were attended by key stakeholders including fishing community, market vendors, government agencies, Buganda Kingdom. |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | ARUA Water CoE Workshop at the 3rd ARUA Biennial Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The ARUA Water CoE hosted a workshop at the third ARUA Biennial conference, a virtual event held on the 19th of November 2021. The theme was 'Digital Storytelling of African Water Challenges' linked to human health and well-being and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Digital Storytelling (DST) is an approach to the ancient art of storytelling that uses modern technologies to create short stories comprising different elements of multimedia - photo, video, and audio. DST has multiple uses within the research environment, such as collecting stories, data, monitoring and evaluation, reflection and learning. The goal of the CoE workshop was to showcase how digital storytelling can enhance science communication with civil society in relation to the work Early Career Researchers (ECRs) of the Water CoE are conducting under the ARUA-UKRI Grants. The workshop was attended by 34 people including representatives from our Water CoE African Nodes and other international guests (see Figure xx below). The main successes and outcomes of the workshop included: a. Showcasing our work as Water CoE on an international front to generate awareness and foster potential future collaborations. During the workshop there was an expression of interest of collaboration on research work between two of the African Nodes? b. Showcasing how our work as an ARUA Water CoE links to the SDGs, contributing particularly to SDG6 - improved and equitable water supply. c. Demonstrating the use of digital storytelling as an innovative and accessible tool to generate awareness around local water challenges and to communicate scientific research findings to civil society and local water managers. d. A rich discussion was generated around how digital storytelling could be used in future work of the Water CoE to forefront the voices of local communities usually marginalised in local water management decision making. In particular, each Node ECR was given advice on how they could improve the use of digital storytelling in this regard from other more experienced practitioners in the water sector. In conclusion, the Water CoE workshop generated excitement and presented an opportunity for our partners to further explore the use of the tool in their water related work. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://arua.org.za/arua-2021-biennial-international-conference/ |
Description | ARUA Water CoE Workshop at the 4th ARUA Biennial Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Supporters |
Results and Impact | The 4th ARUA Biennial International Conference, hosted at the University of Lagos, Nigeria from November 15th to 17th, centred around the theme "Reimagining the Future of Higher Education in Africa." The conference served as a forum for university leadership, thought leaders and researchers to engage in meaningful and passionate discussions on future sustainability scenarios and the quality of outputs from African universities. A CoE team attended, including myself, Dr Matthew Weaver, student Ms Phatsimo Ramabatsana, and intern Ms Siphamandla Mjuleni. We met Prof James Akanmu, co-lead of the University of Lagos node there, as well as other CoE Directors from across Africa, in addition to the University of Lagos senior management who were extremely welcoming. The conference was highly positive from a networking perspective with Vice-Chancellors and Deputy Vice Chancellors from many of the ARUA Universities in attendance including Rhodes University. It was announced at the conference that Rhodes University Vice Chancellor Prof Sizwe Mabizela has been appointed as incoming Chairman of the ARUA board in 2024 which is particularly exciting for us. The Water CoE presented three papers, as well as ran a CoE workshop for early career researchers. Dr Jane Tanner presented a paper co-authored by Dr Ana Porroche Escudero, on structural inequalities holding African researchers back; Dr Matthew Weaver presented a paper co-authored by Dr Rebecka Henriksson, on the CSES Integration Wheel in the context of transforming higher education in Africa. He demonstrated how the tool could be used to design transdisciplinary research across the continent to effectively and equitably address pressing sustainability challenges. Dr Weaver also presented a paper on his value creation framework and how it was used to uncover hidden value within the RESBEN project. Although the audience was small, both Prof Ernest Aryeetey, Secretary General of ARUA and Prof Linda Mtwisha, Executive Director of Research at University of Cape Town attended the presentations and engaged in the discussions that followed. The CoE workshop was also a success with many ECRs from other nodes attending and engaging. The team conducted an interactive workshop for the ARUA CoE Water, utilizing the River of Life reflection approach. This method provided participants with a creative distinctive approach to sharing and reflecting on their academic experiences, culminating in the creation of collective visual representations of significant moments in their individual journeys. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Cardiff U: Research at a distance: novel approaches and equitable partnership workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Research at a Distance: Changing Approaches and Equitable Partnerships workshop was hosted by Dr Adrian Healy, UKRI Future Leader Fellow, Cardiff University on 12 April 2021. The workshop was 2 hours and 30 min long and comprised a formal working group with a number of experts such as academics, NGOs and research practitioners from different countries who are part of the collaborating partners of Cardiff University UK. Members of the Water CoE including Prof Ezechiel Longe, Ms Sandra Mutesi, Ms Rokhaya Diop, Prof Zerihun Woldu, Dr James Akanmu, Dr Sukhmani Mantel and Dr Bukho Gusha were among more than 30 people who attended this workshop. The workshop was organised as an interactive event, with breakout rooms for facilitating outcomes of the workshop that highlighted some of the good practices identified, the opportunities presented by different methodologies and pitfalls to be avoided. During the workshop it was clear that researchers are facing a lot of challenges in conducting research due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This is especially so for researchers that are required to collect qualitative data as 'lockdown' regulations have restricted the opportunities for face-to-face contact. As a result, it was mentioned that this has led to researchers exploring alternative methodologies that do not require the physical presence of the researcher. This is occurring at both the local scale and more globally, as international collaborations are moved online and undertaken at a distance. These novel approaches offer both opportunities for new working relationships, but they may also present challenges. The workshop was divided into 2 parts to unpack and identify new methodologies while conducting ethical and equitable research. Rob Meckin spoke about adaptations in research approaches in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic. In his presentation, he mainly focused on undertaking social research during Covid-19 times where social and physical restrictions are the major restrictions and requires change in the methodologies and practices in order to keep going. However these changes need more funding support. This presentation was followed by facilitated breakout room discussions using a method of Research Rivers which was an opportunity for participants to share their experiences of undertaking, or developing, approaches to research at a distance. The breakout rooms ended up discussing way forward and how to carry on during Covid-19 times. Some participants highlighted that the situation also presents opportunities such as using online technology, using champions within groups to facilitate research, create resources for participants and connect more people since not travelling. Prof Tally Palmer gave a presentation on 'Ethical and Equitable Research Partnerships in a Covid-19 era'. She started her talk by introducing the ARUA Water CoE, its founding principles and its partners. Some of the principles she mentioned are to protect the most vulnerable (push the system) and what type of seeds of innovation can explode out of it, and how to shift landscapes to make them less about self-interest. She noted how the CoE has been affected by the UK funding cuts and mentioned that the situation has shown that sometimes principles are more useful than rules. She also mentioned the radical learning experience of allowing the nodes to lead the research in the spirit of the original proposal. Her presentation was followed by panelists who spoke about framing the issues and their perspectives. The panelists were Sana Contractor (chsj), Artwell Kadungure (Training and Research Support Centre, TARSC) and Sabrina Rasheed (iccdr'b). During the discussions, it emerged that a challenge still exists on who gets to the field to collect data during this time of Covid-19 and who benefits from the data. Therefore, discussions were seeking to explore potentially new methodological approaches in the framework of decolonising research and the need for an ethical and full transition towards meaningful equitable partnerships with 'local' and national researchers. One of the positive takeaways was that grassroot communities have shown resilience, flexibility and creativity through this time, and there is opportunity to collaborate and shift research approaches. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.ru.ac.za/iwr/latestnews/researchatadistancenovelapproachesandequitablepartnershipworksho... |
Description | Cardiff U: Virtual event on "AU-EU-UK collaborations: emerging opportunities and prior learning for water and resilience research" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Prof. Tally Palmer, from Rhodes University, Institute for Water Research (IWR) and the Director of the ARUA Water Centre of Excellence (CoE), was involved as a contributor in an event that shared emerging lessons on themes of resilience, water security and multinational interdisciplinary research partnerships in the context of UK and EU funding programmes on 6th July. The event was organized by Dr Adrian Healy, a Future Leaders Fellow at Cardiff University. The event included presentations from existing projects in order to learn from previous programmes promoting resilience under UK funding. With a focus on practical examples of AU-EU-UK collaborations the event shared knowledge of past activities, future potentials and the opportunities emerging from national and European Union funding programmes. The event raised awareness and built prospective research communities. The programme included presentations from representatives of European Commission and Welsh Government and on-going collaborations under Horizon 2020. Fadila Boughanemi (European Commission) introduced the Horizon Europe programme and highlighted the opportunities for cooperation with partners in Africa. Calum White (Welsh Government) introduced the new International Learning Exchange (ILE) that has been launched by Welsh Government. Amongst other things this can support the development of new collaborations through staff mobility (including the development of projects with international partners and strategic partnerships). Mark Pelling (Kings College London), Tally Palmer (Rhodes University) and Esther Diez Cebollero (Water JPI) provided insights based on their own experience. Tally Palmer highlighted how research funding tends to be relatively short-term (3 years or less) and asked whether a different approach is needed to help develop sustainable impacts. Building relationships and working collaboratively takes time. Mark Pelling outlined some key principles for collaborative working that have emerged from the experience of Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) funded projects in the construction of co-production and interdisciplinarity, namely: communication, sharing values and language; being problem-focused and focus-led (helps to organise multiple view points and to avoid assumptions about role/contribution); be flexible and be prepared to fail and learn (and know when to change direction) - how do we build monitoring and evaluation systems so that we know when to change direction and perhaps partner in ways that are not destructive; ownership of incentives and framing of incentives (recognise value of publications as an incentive don't dismiss them); relationships take time, understanding and empathy (and we must think differently about remote working). Mark and Tally both also highlighted the moral and ethical elements to sustaining partnerships and relationships, as the GCRF cuts have brought to the fore. We should also not overlook the significance of transdisciplinarity (respecting different knowledges) - the opportunity to engage in participatory actions involving a range of actors (boundary spanning). Who has the skillset to connect and combine the networks of knowledge that are needed to shift problems? A common theme was the importance of spending time to build shared expectations of the roles everyone has, to ensure equity and to lay the foundations for open and transparent working practices (including open (and devolved) budgets). A valuable approach is to not assume that English will be the default language (with translation to English). Looking to the future, there is likely to be a push for a global shift towards adaptation approaches in response to climate change. Speakers noted their expectation that this will promote research agendas (and funding) and include connections to social and economic justice. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | ECR Carnegie meeting |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Three ECRs from the ARUA Water CoE attended the event organised by Carnegie and ARUA in Pretoria. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Ethiopia node in-country Adaptive Planning Process (APP) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Drs Bukho Gusha and Matthew Weaver from the Hub team traveled to Ethiopia to support the Addis Ababa University and Water and Land Research Centre (WLRC) in facilitating an adaptive planning process with stakeholders from two learning watersheds in the Amare Region. The engagement was hosted over two days and formed part of the ARUA Resilient Benefits Project. On the first day, farmers, watershed management officials and religious leaders participated in a watershed learning exchange. The exchange was facilitated by the WLRC. Participants proudly shared stories of how they implemented restoration activities that over time, saw their landscape transform from a degraded state to a productive landscape. They showed before and after images showing the success of restoration activities. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Ethiopia node in-country Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | As a follow up stakeholder engagement activity from the APP, Ethiopia node held its first ever Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM) workshop in Bahir Dar Region with the two learning watersheds namely: Aba Gerima and Debre Yakob. The two watersheds presented the benefits and challenges related to watershed management practices. The SAM workshop was held to • Reconnect with previous APP process • Learn from each other • Continue with planning that seeks to strive towards vision, objectives and action plan for the IWM. The stakeholders involved community people, regional officers from the department of Agriculture, The Kebele administrators and the local Priest. At the end of this workshop, stakeholders drafted a plan of action on the activities they would like to carry forward in achieving sustainable watersheds that benefits livelihoods. Stakeholders identified 5 key objectives with actions, timelines, challenges and opportunities. Those key objectives will be implemented and reviewed over time in each watershed, by the watershed members. Developing a legal document with bylaws on watershed management was one of the major activities that the stakeholders agreed to take forward as a matter of agency. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Hub team: Center Directors meeting, Mauritius |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Dr Rebecka Henricksson and Ms Margaret Wolff attended the meeting to discuss way forward for the ARUA CoEs. Link to website article here: https://www.ru.ac.za/iwr/centers/aruacoe/news/ - ARUA Water Centre of Excellence attends the Centre Directors meeting in Mauritius |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Hub team: PERKA meeting, Cape Town |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | he launch of the PERKA (Peer-Learning for Emerging Researcher's Knowledge and Advancement) report was held as part of the meeting on 'High-level Convening on Early-career Researcher Development in the Post-PhD Phase' on 6-7 December 2022 in Cape Town. Dr Sukhmani Mantel (Academic Manager, ARUA Water CoE) was one of the invitees to the event. The two-day programme included keynote presentations, panel discussions, and facilitated conversations on designing, implementing, funding, and monitoring interventions that support early-career researchers (ECRs). Also of interest were case studies from programmes successfully implemented in recent years. More details on ARUA Water CoE website https://www.ru.ac.za/iwr/centers/aruacoe/news/ item titled: Early-Career Researchers are Key to Addressing Africa's challenges |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Keynote address and presentations at the Inaugural South African Hydrologists Society conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The inaugural South African Hydrology Society (SAHS) conference was held in Johannesburg from 10-12 October 2022. SAHS is a 'new' society born from the South African National Committee of the International Association for Hydrological Sciences (SANCIAHS). Therefore, we can generally specify that the new SAHS body is a rebranded SANCIAHS. SAHS was born at the conference in Johannesburg, where a general meeting was convened, and delegates voted in the society constitution, code of conduct and a new committee. The lead hydrologist at the IWR, Dr Jane Tanner, who is also the Director of the ARUA Water CoE, gave an inspiring keynote talk on integrating society into hydrology and related challenges. The IWR was well represented at the conference, with eight delegates and an additional cohort of three coming from various African countries under the ARUA Water CoE. Mr Gyaviira Ssewankambo, an ARUA Water CoE Research Assistant based in Uganda, won the best oral presentation. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://southafricanhydrologicalsociety.org.za/ |
Description | Lancaster U: Social Science and power |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | The main purpose of the Social Science Methods group is to build capacity on qualitative methods and theories of power. The group is led by the Lancaster U postdoc supported by the Research Excellence grant, Dr Ana Porroche-Escudero. http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/people/ana-porrocheescudero(ed61266f-042e-46e0-9b2c-7e6ebf6a3f00).html The group has been meeting periodically since July 2021. The plans to collect social science data on power in relation to water governance in the different nodes is progressing well. Challenges: (1) he overarching theme is power and water governance. However each node is taking a slightly different angle to investigate power (e.g. in relation to pollution or participation in water governance). (2) The Research Assistants have different skills and confidence conducting qualitative research means that we had to design an accelerated workshop on methods (SOLUTION); (3) Poor internet connection has been a real problem to engage and ease communication. SOLUTION: whatsapp groups, individual meetings and phone calls, etc " |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Makerere U, Uganda Presentation: The fate of personal care products in water systems in Kampala, Uganda |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | 18 graduate students attended which led to a greater discussion on water quality management and how we can contribute to the water week conference run by the Ministry of Water and Environment |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://gorilla.mak.ac.ug/call-abstracts |
Description | Makerere U, Uganda Presentation: Unlocking resilient benefits from African water resources: A case study of Kampala City, Uganda |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Building Resilient Communities, Ecosystems and Livelihoods under Global Environmental Change. More than 100 persons attended, presented papers that shall be published in a Springer special issue publication |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://gorilla.mak.ac.ug/ |
Description | Makerere U, Uganda: Research data collection on key informant interviews |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | 15 one-on-one interviews were undertaken to understand people's perception of pollution, its pathways and effects, and how it can be controlled. Main purpose: Data collection and understanding pollution context among communities. From this exercise, we got data for the social science aspects of the study, specifically on community mitigation of water pollution in relation to power relations. Location: Ggaba community |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Makerere U, Uganda: Stakeholders Engagement |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Makerere University convened its first high-level meeting virtually to introduce Uganda's participation in the international project "Unlocking Resilient Benefits from African Water Resources". Uganda brought together 17 stakeholders from a mix of backgrounds from formal water institutions including the Ministry of Water and Environment and the National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Kampala Capital City Authority as well as top academics from the Universities of Makerere, Rhodes (South Africa, SA), Sheffield and Lancaster (UK). The Ugandan node will look at the sources, pathways and impact of pollution in urban water. The meeting was well represented by top academics from Makerere University and formal water institutions at different levels of government. The node is in the process of revisiting its approach to engaging a wide range of stakeholders including local residents, civil society, non-governmental organisations and private business, government ministries, local governments, and water management agencies. By bringing together a wide array of knowledges from Uganda, and in partnership African countries and the UK, the project aims to shift water development practice towards greater equity and sustainability. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Nigeria node in-country Adaptive Planning Process (APP) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Location: Lagos. About fifty stakeholders attended the program. It was an opportunity for stakeholders to meet one another, hear each other's perspectives and explore the potential of collaboration in relation to the contamination of water resources. The stakeholders were satisfied and are looking forward to next meeting and further contributions to the set objectives. However, some community dwellers were expecting that more incentives (finance) be given to them apart from the souvenir pack (containing branded shirt, jotter, biro, feedback note, agenda etc.) and feeding aspect given to them. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Nigeria node in-country Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | A workshop on the Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM) of urban water pollution in the Lagos community of Ilaje Bariga was held on 8 and 9 February at the University of Lagos. The workshop brought together stakeholders from local government, NGOs, schools, and local communities to develop a collaborative action plan to address the city's growing water quality challenges. The workshop was informative and insightful, and it gave a chance for stakeholders to build relationships, hear one another's viewpoints, and collaborate in the management of Lagos's urban water pollution challenges. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Rwanda U: Training workshop on sampling and identification of algae as biological indicators of water quality |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | 5 postgraduate students attended the training on sampling and identification of algae. The main purpose was to equip participants with skills and knowledge to integrate biological indicators in water quality assessment. The location was around Akagera river, Rwanda. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Rwanda node in-country Adaptive Planning Process (APP) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | The purpose of the Rwanda APP workshop was to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to meet and explore current issues related to the Akagera and Nyabarongo river management, create a vision for its sustainable management and develop the objective hierarchy to achieve that vision. The vision created is: "Healthy Catchments that promote socio-economic wellbeing of people through evidence based integrated water and land management". We also formed two teams among participants and voted for leaders of these groups. These teams will work together to achieve the vision. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Rwanda node in-country Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | The Rwandan node facilitated a two-day Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM) workshop on the 30th and 31st of January 2023. This was the first of the nodes to run their workshop and served as an excellent learning opportunity for the hub team to support the other nodes in planning and facilitating their respective workshops better. The facilitation team worked with community representatives from various farming and fishing cooperatives operating in the Akagera River catchment. The purpose of the first day session was to build relationships, trust and collective capabilities of the community group to better enable them to participate actively and meaningfully on the second day, where the full cohort of stakeholders (including Government, NGOs and Academia) were convening for more detailed SAM planning. Facilitators were delighted to realise how much the community members knew about their landscape. They were already familiar with concepts related to biodiversity and management and were quickly able to master additional concepts required for the SAM workshop. The workshop was a success. The MEL report provides more details under the Sucess Story Annex. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Rwanda's wetlands conservation: A webinar organized in line with the celebration of the World Wetland Day 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2 February. Its aim is to raise the global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and the planet. This day also marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands signed on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar city, Iran. In this regard, the Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management (CoEB), based in the College of Science and Technology, University of Rwanda hosted a webinar to discuss the current status of wetlands conservation in Rwanda, and to explore the challenges and opportunities. The webinar was organized on 2 February 2022, where six speakers from three institutions participated. These were Mr. Alphonse Nzarora (Research Assistant for the UKRI-funded ARUA Water CoE project titled 'Unlocking Resilient Benefits form African Water Resources' [RESBEN] https://www.ru.ac.za/iwr/aruacoe/ and Assistant Lecturer at the University of Rwanda), Professor Elias Bizuru (Research Associate of the CoEB and lecturer at the University of Rwanda),Mr. Jean Ferus Niyomwungeri (Community Conservation Programme Manager at Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association), Dr. Deo Ruhagazi (Senior Programme Manager and Veterinarian at Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association), Mrs Christelle Suavis Iradukunda (Bugesera Landscape Manager at Albertine Rift Conservation Society, ARCOS) and Mrs Brigitte Kanyamugenge (Head of Community Development Programme at ARCOS). The webinar was attended by 104 participants and took place on google meet. Participants came from different disciplines across the planet. Alphonse Nzarora in his presentation stressed the importance of using biological indicators in water quality monitoring. He specified that one of the benefits of the use of bioindicators is their ability to indicate some of the indirect effects of pollutants that cannot be indicated by physical and chemical measurements. He also added that biological assessment of water quality is comparatively cost-efficient and requires basic equipment compared to the use of physicochemical properties. He concluded that biological indicators could be an answer where financial limitations are an issue for monitoring water quality. Elias Bizuru presented about the sustainable use of wetlands in Rwanda. He highlighted different ecosystem services provided by wetlands and mentioned some of the opportunities and challenges faced by wetland conservation in Rwanda. The opportunities include the availability of water for irrigation and the rich biodiversity while challenges include invasive species and pollution from inorganic pollutants from agriculture. Christelle Iradukunda and Mr. Brigitte Kanyamugenge presented about the efforts made by ARCOS to restore the Amasangano wetland located in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. The Amasangano wetland is located at the confluence between Akanyaru and Nyabarongo Rivers. This wetland was recently impacted by unsustainable agriculture, invasive species, unsustainable fishing, and quarries for clay extraction. Additional challenges in the area include droughts and floods while opportunities include tourism activities. Jean Ferus Niyomwungeri and Mr. Deo Ruhagazi shared a pre-recorded video about the work of RWCA to protect wetlands that are home to endangered grey crowned cranes. According to the video shared during the webinar, RWCA has restored Umusambi village, a privately owned touristic wetland located at Kabuga, in Kigali city. The restored wetland is now home to cranes. Further, the video revealed an almost doubling in the number of cranes in Rwanda from 487 in 2017 to 997 in 2021. In the open discussion, Dr. Deo Ruhagazi mentioned that wetlands in Rwanda are divided into three classes. He said that some wetlands are fully protected, others are conditionally used while others are unconditionally used. Fully protected wetlands are only for conservation and no activity should take place there except conservation activity. Wetlands which are used conditionally can be used for limited activities such as organic agriculture while wetlands which are used unconditionally can be used for any activity according to preferences of the owner. Conclusion: This webinar was an opportunity to share experience among different researchers working in different organizations and those who have a stake in wetland conservation. All discussions were intended to guide future research and restoration activities. The webinar stressed the importance of checking the class of the wetland, whether it is to be used conditionally or unconditionally or if it is fully protected before any intervention. The other recommendation is to look back at the wetland's history and check the original status of the wetland. This information will then guide restoration activities especially when choosing which plants need to be planted in a given wetland. The other importance of this information is to be able to set realistic targets when planning restoration interventions. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ54yLtHg1I |
Description | Senegal node in-country Adaptive Planning Process (APP) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
Results and Impact | Location: Saint Louis, Senegal. Main purpose: Conduct an Adaptive Planning Process (APP) in a facilitated and engaged two-day workshop with researchers and stakeholders, following the method of Palmer et al. (2018). The stakeholders were divided into two groups each facilitated by two Research Assistants. The working sessions were supervised by Prof Faye and Prof Kane of the Senegal node. Activity 1: Current Concerns. The objective was to identify and discuss the current concerns of the stakeholders gathered around the Lake Guiers basin. It allows participants to feel less alone with their concerns and to get an idea of the difficulties encountered by the different stakeholders. Activity 2: Vision. The aim is to establish a shared vision for the development of the Lake Guiers catchment. After listing the concerns and getting a picture of how people see the Guiers Lake catchment, stakeholders had the opportunity to describe what they would like the future to be and to work towards a common vision. It is important that the vision is truly shared and that stakeholders can commit to how they will contribute to achieving that vision. The main vision agreed upon was: "A better knowledge and efficient and participatory management of the Guiers basin for water security by 2035 ". Activity 3: Values. The aim was to identify the values that are important to the participants as they work together to solve the problem that concerns them. This is an important process to make explicit the values they share as a group. The main common values were: Commitment; Equity; Solidarity; consideration; Courage Activity 4: Context / STEEP. The STEEP session aimed to develop a common contextual understanding of the catchment/landscape/system. This step consisted of listing the attributes of the catchment according to the stakeholders. Each of them gave the different attributes that they considered positive and very beneficial for the Lac de Guiers basin. Therefore, an important part of this session was also to think about the threats and constraints of the catchment area. Activity 5: Objectives hierarchy. Participants have previously used the VSTEEP to gain a clearer picture of the challenges and opportunities presented by the characteristics (attributes) of the project system. They also have the vision. It was during these steps that they developed the hierarchical objectives. This stage aimed to move stakeholders into planning by developing a series of actions that together will move the vision forward. Activity 6: General discussions and follow-up actions. After the restitution of the two groups, a discussion was opened on the governance, the observatory, and the reforms around Guiers Lake. Remarks were also made on water charters and codes and the need to take them into account. After a long discussion between the participants, a reflection was opened for the choice of a sub-objective to be implemented by the end of the project (2023). The SAED representative recommended that all actors be identified in a database by 2023 and the OLAC representative agreed, adding the importance of conducting surveys. Prof. Faye added that it would be good to set up a dynamic and digital platform but also spatialized. The meeting also agreed on the possibility of integrating degradation factors. Finally, the team and the assembly agreed to focus on two sub-objectives: 1. Identification of actors/roles and establishment of a digital platform 2. Identification of degradation factors. Through these sub-objectives, the stakeholders chose to focus on the future: Sub-objective 1 which is part of the vision "Concerted and efficient management" and sub-objective 2 on the "Better knowledge" part of the vision and the hierarchical objective of the water quality of the basin. Notable impact: All participant gained new knowledge about APP methods and social learning that can be used in their future research, especially in terms of methodology and evaluation |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Senegal node in-country Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Implementation of SAM, of ASA (Adaptive Systemic Approach). Online platform with water actors to tackle lake issues (degradation, pollution). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Sheffield U: Speight media interview with Devex |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Prof Speight was interviewed for an article about high tech advances in the WASH sector. https://www.devex.com/news/robots-drones-and-ai-the-new-technology-making-waves-in-wash-99312 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Tanzania node in-country Adaptive Planning Process (APP) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Stakeholder Engagement Workshop at Mount Royal in Iringa Tanzania. Main purpose was to establish collaboration with key stakeholders for inclusive research. 15 participants from different group of stakeholders (water related institutions, large and small farmers) attended the workshop and were able to discuss the challenges they are facing and work together to find common solution. They started by formulating their Values and vision for their basin. All participants requested a copy of the report in local language so that they can use it to inform others. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Tanzania node in-country Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Work together with participants to explore the potential for collaboration towards a shared goal and work towards building a sustainable future for the basin. The event consisted on Field Visit and Consultation, Presentation of research finding by RAs, Science cafe, and Mapping of stakeholders. In terms of impacts, the event shared experience from the Tungamalenga and Pawaga Irrigation scheme. A discussion with water users committees led to stakeholders connection and collaboration actions to improve participatory approach in solving challenges in water resources management |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Tanzania node: Zanzibar water conference, Ms Gift Mollel |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Knowledge sharing, learning and interaction between three main actors in the water sector. (i) Policy makers (ii) Researchers and (iii) Practitioners. Gift Mollel (an RA supported by the ARUA Water CoE) presented a paper on Assessing Impacts of Climate Change on Groundwater Recharge Estimation in Usangu Catchment, Tanzania. She got an award on the best poster presentation |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://zanzibarwaterconference.gwptz.org/ |
Description | UCAD, Senegal node Stakeholder Mapping |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | To identify the main stakeholders for the BOUND Workshop under Research Benefits grant. All potential stakeholders were identified and questionnaires were handed out to all stakeholders. It included regional institutions, local governance services, agribusiness, family farmers etc. The local farmers and agribusiness were sensitised to the importance of the RESBEN project in local governance. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021 |
Description | UCT learning site: Adaptive Planning Process (APP) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | A one day APP workshop attended by 38 participants from a wide range of sectors including government, local authority, NGOs, business, local residents from the informal sector, educators, academics and post-graduate students. A video was produced from the event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8ndni7p7Ak The major concern expressed by local residents in the catchment was uncontrolled dumping in the river, condition of the river and lack of services for an increasing number of people who were in the informal settlement. Soon after the meeting, academics were called to attend a meeting with the Councillor and community leaders to view the conditions in the upper part of the informal settlement where disused dam had been filled with waste including sanitation waste. Following the APP, members were keen to collect this waste and clean the area but the volume and level of contamination would have posed a risk. The academic reached out to the local authority on behalf of the community. The waste was collected and managed by local authority. Subsequently an extended public works programme has continued to clean and manage this site. Much of these actions stem from the APP. In a further contribution that arises from the APP, an NGO involved in waste recycling in Franschhoek was introduced to another NGO working in Cape Town. The latter introduced the meeting attendees to a brick that was constructed with some plastic waste content. This was a new idea. In December a 10 ton truck load of plastic waste from Franschhoek was delivered to the brick making factory. This pilot product is continuing. The APP brought two NGOs together. Hopefully the pogramme will continue and expand further. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8ndni7p7Ak |
Description | UCT node: Wastewater Treatment Through Nature Based Systems (NBS) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Location: Water Hub Franschhoek. Site visit through the plant showcasing how NBS are applied to treat contaminated surface water. The walkover was followed by a facilitated discussion afterwards. The stakeholder engagement re-generated interest on the contamination issues in the Stiebeuel River catchment, and reinstated stakeholder relationships that had quietened over the lockdown period. Re-engagement of stakeholders and garnering interest from new key stakeholders in research area through this engagement, led to the research team re-establishing relationships with Managers (Wastewater Management, Solid Waste) at Stellenbosch Municipality and re-ignited their interest in the learning site. After the workshop, the national Department of Water and Sanitation asked for a follow up visit to the study site, to explore potential collaboration. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | http://www.futurewater.uct.ac.za |
Description | UDSM Tanzania node: May 2021 University Research and Innovation Week |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | In May 2021, the node project team members exhibited the project activities during the 2021 University Research and Innovation Week and were awarded second winner prize. The main objective was showcasing the output of the projects and findings to the general public, especially industry/business, and secondly, to strengthen the link between academia and the industry. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op9RQ28Y5io |
Description | UKRI - Research and Innovation for international development |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The event was organised by Universities UK International (UUKi) for UK Official Development Assistance (ODA). There were 369 attendees from across the UK. There were a number of followup questions about how people would connect with ARUA Water CoE. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Uganda node in-country Adaptive Planning Process (APP) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The main purpose was to bring together stakeholders with interest in the management of Inner Murchison Bay (IMB) Catchment to learn from each other, build collaborative relationships and develop realistic solutions. About 40 stakeholders with interest in the management of Inner Murchison Bay (IMB) Catchment were brought together such that we can learn from each other, build collaborative relationships and develop realistic solutions to issues in the IMB. A vision for the IMB was developed and activities that can be carried out to the bay's sustainable management also identified. Contacts were established with key stakeholders in the IMB |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Uganda node in-country Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM) workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The Makerere University RESBEN node held a Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM) workshop in February 2023 as a follow-up to the Adaptive Planning Process (APP) workshop held in the previous year. The workshop aimed to build on the progress made during the APP and work with stakeholders in crafting a management plan. The management plan stipulates activities and individuals to achieve key priority areas for achieving their vision. The workshop was attended by a diverse group of stakeholders, including researchers, students, the church, local government, traditional leaders, and government departments. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Water CoE Hub team: TWENTY65 conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Following is the workshop presentation description: High quality public and community involvement and engagement (PCIE) can make a real difference to research, policy and practice. Yet, while PCIE is becoming an important framework guiding many disciplines, funding bodies and studies, discussions across the water sector (WS) lack a sufficient focus on this. The net result is often inadequate, ineffective and inefficient outcomes that impact the environment, the economy, public health and society. For the ARUA Water Centre of Excellence and UK partners, PCIE matters. The workshop introduced the Adaptative Systemic Approach (ASA) framework. The ASA is the result of a decadal iterative-collaborative learning process between members of the public, universities, and a wide range of agencies and practitioners across Africa. The ASA framework recognises that, along with transdisciplinarity, a focus on PCIE is the golden thread that must run through all the stages of the research. Using the ASA four-step methodology, the workshop gave real examples of constructive ways to engage with PCIE in applied research regarding water use inequity and contestation. The workshop format combined expert-led discussion with participant reflections and breakout rooms. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://twenty65.ac.uk/ |
Description | Water CoE: Dr Rebecca Powell's interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Radio interview of Dr Rebecca Powell (Hub Postdoc) on Channel Africa - The Upside. The focus of the interview was on ''How digital storytelling can be a powerful tool for water researchers''. Dr Powell was contacted due to an article in The Conversation on this topic (https://theconversation.com/digital-storytelling-can-be-a-powerful-tool-for-water-researchers-189322). The Water CoE has found that digital storytelling can be a powerful way to share scientific research with non-expert audiences. Dr Powell and Dr Sukhmani Mantel (Water CoE Academic Manager) trained ten early career researchers from six African countries - Senegal, Tanzania, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Africa - about digital storytelling on aspects of water, such as pollution, allocation and access. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://omny.fm/shows/the-upside/how-digital-storytelling-can-be-a-powerful-tool-fo |
Description | Water CoE: Garden Route Interface and Networking Meeting (GRIN) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The GRIN networking meeting is held annually and provides a forum for researchers and practitioners interested in understanding and managing (navigating) social-ecological systems and their complex interactions and feedbacks. The Adaptive Systemic Approach framing the UKRI-funded Unlocking resilient benefits from African water resources (RESBEN) project, was given its own session on Day 2 of the meeting. Professor Tally Palmer presented an overview of how the Adaptive Systemic Approach emerged from more than a decade of collaborative research. She introduced the audience to the three overarching theories of complex social-ecology systems (CSES), transdisciplinarity and transformative social learning, showed how the project is implemented in seven African Countries, and connected the overview to the subsequent presentation. Margaret Wolff presented a sliver of the Adaptive Planning Process workshop which forms an integral part of the Adaptive Systemic Approach. She emphasised the role of facilitation in the workshops and the key lesson of the importance of the use of home language to enable all participants in the workshop to participant more easily. Dr Matthew Weaver unpacked the use of the Value Creation Framework by the RESBEN project to illustrate the value for participants as they engaged in the social learning spaces in the project. The creation of different types of value (for example immediate, potential, applied, realised, transformative and strategic ) for participants impacts their ability to make the difference they care to make through their work. In addition, value is evidence of current and future impact related to their engagements, working lives and the information they share with colleagues and stakeholders. This value is often overlooked by traditional 'tick box' monitoring and evaluation techniques. Dr Rebecka Henriksson discussed the significance of integration between disciplines (e.g. natural science and social science), methods and data sources, and between academic and non-academic knowledge, across the project and in particular stressed the importance within a CSES and sustainability science framing. To this end, Dr Henriksson and colleagues have developed a tool to assist researchers and students to consider how they might be able to enhance the SES integration and transdisciplinarity in research and project design. Finally in the session Dr Ana Porroche-Escudero challenged the meeting to think about the continuing 'divide' between funding and research in the Global North and Global South. She spoke about the past, existing and continuing institutional structural inequalities that persist in an African context and between Africa and the Global North. She argued that if research led by southern research institutions is to remain an investment priority from the global north, there is a need to (a) recognise the asymmetrical North/South funding dynamics guiding research and funding and, (b) develop enabling support mechanisms to overcome and/or mitigate the real impact of compounding structural inequalities. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.sanparks.org/scientific-services/events/grin-2022 |
Description | Water Coe: Integration Meeting |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The workshop was held in Kampala, Uganda in June 2023, hosted by the CoE co-Director, Dr Isa Kabenge. The node Co-Investigators and social science supervisors from each node attended five days of reflection and planning. The workshop focussed on five areas related to: contribution to the intellectual landscape; the practical realities of applying ASA; integration of natural and social science, and how to take these learnings into refining stakeholder engagement and SES integration; thinking about concept notes and proposals to build on the work that has been done. From the workshop, we came up with the plan for the final year of Research Excellence funding and the outline of the Special Issue in Ecology & Society with contributions from all nodes. The manuscripts for this Special Issue are currently in progress. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.ru.ac.za/iwr/centres/aruacoe/ |
Description | Webinar Presentation Speight WSUP |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
Results and Impact | Vanessa Speight presented 'An adaptive, systemic approach to community-led engaged water research' as part of a webinar series on innovative approaches to development, Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) , 14 April 2021. Staff from multiple WSUP offices across the UK and Africa attended along with their respective water utility partners. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | What About Water? Podcast Speight |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Speight interviewed for What About Water? Podcast, high profile broadcast listed on Apple and Spotify among others. The Title was: What Lurks Beneath: How Robots Can Save City Plumbing with Vanessa Speight, discussing piped water networks in developed and developing countries and how advanced technologies like robots might improve their operation. Air date 15 February 2023. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.whataboutwater.org/s04e11/ |