Technopolicy Brief

Bordering on a water crisis: The need for Integrated Resource Management in the Mara REiver Basin

» Urama,k and Grant,D, Technopolicy Brief series 23

One of the major constraints on sustainable development in the semi-arid areas of Africa is the supply and access to a range of natural resources underpinned by water. Water is needed to support domestic use, agriculture and the preservation of wildlife. With increasing human populations and drive for development, pressure is exerted to harness water resources for higher economic uses instead of developing and adopting an integrated approach. In an integrated approach the various needs and provisions for sustainable livelihoods and ecosystem conservation are assessed and balanced. However, the linkages between water resource management, sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity conservation are poorly known. As a result river basin management programmes and policy initiatives in Africa have evolved independently, often with overlapping and/or conflicting goals and responsibilities. The outcomes from this have been persistent within-country and trans-boundary conflicts; leading to increased poverty and declines in biological diversity. Read more

Research Paper

Assessment of Constraints in Technology Towards an Integrated Trans-boundary River Management Policy Development in Semi-Arid River Basins

» Proceedings of a Pan-African Stakeholder Policy Forum

The Integrated Trans-boundary River Management Policy Development (INTREPID) Stakeholders Forum was held at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania from 11 – 14 March 2008. The forum organized by the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) in collaboration with the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (MLURI), Aberdeen, United Kingdom (UK) and the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) under the auspices of an European Commission funded specific support actions project Contract N0 FP6 – INCO-CT-2007-043784 INTREPID. Read more

Newsletter 2008

Contents in focus:

Integrated Trans-Boundary River Management Policy Development for the Mara River Basin

» More in contents:

INTREPID project for the Mara river basin

ATPS implements the science cafe` model

ATPS supports biochemistry students

New book launch

ATPS and WWF-EARPO partnership

Scientific revival day news

Annual Report 2007

Science &Technology and Innovations for African Development

In our 2006 Annual Report, I reminded you that historians will remember this century for its commitment to a global partnership and a series of time-bound targets, commonly known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aimed at improving the socio-economic well-being of humanity by 2015. I reiterated that the UNDP/UNICEF progress report of 2002 on the MDGs showed that progress had been achieved but the Africa's record was poor with little impact to poor people.

We have come to the end of 2007 and I am still convinced that science, technology and innovation (STI) accompanied by appropriate policy is still the answer to help African countries attain the MDGs and achieve sustainable development. We, in Africa, are clearly not on track to meet the MDGs. New global challenges such as climate change and high food prices further threaten food security, economic growth and environmental sustainability in unprecedented proportions. I still believe that Science Technology and Innovation policy and practice remain the missing link in global Development effort. We must rededicate our skills, with proper support, to bridge the Science, Technology and Innovation gap and attain these goals.Read more

Working Paper

Developpement d'une Zone Humide Simulee Plantee avec Amaranthacea et Capri: aridaceea pour u Traitment des Eaux Usees Domestiques.

Dans la plupart des pays du monde, l’on assiste à un intérêt croissant pour la protection de l’environnement compte tenu de l’impact écologique considérable que peut présenter les déversements d’effluents. La pollution des eaux est de moins en moins tolérée et l’utilisation des végétaux dans l’épuration des eaux usées est un procédé récent qui reprend les techniques naturelles d’auto épuration et bénéficient d’une attention croissante. La technologie du traitement des eaux usées par marais artificiels a commencé à prendre de l’ampleur à partir des travaux de SEIDEL dans les années 1950-1960. En effet, les potentialités épuratoires du roseau ont été mises en évidence par cet auteur dès 1946 pour traiter des effluents industriels contenant des substances chimiques tels que les phénols, les chlorophénols et les métaux lourds. Cette nouvelles technologie extensive à été exploitée avec succès par plusieurs auteurs (Finlayson et Chick, 1983; Brix, 1993 ; Biddlestone et al., 1991) pour le traitement de plusieurs types d’effluents (effluent de laiterie, d’abattoir, domestique, urbain). Read more