The future of education and training in aquatic science within African Great Lakes

Achieng, Alfred O.; Lawrence, T.; Flavin, Benjamin; Migeni, Ajode Z.; Coffey, Tracey J.; Otieno, Manyala J.; Stein, Howard F.; Irvine, Kenneth; Opaa, Benard

doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2022.08.012

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…However, there are successfully funded projects through collaborations with academic and research institutions from abroad to strengthen the local research capacity. Our recent review on environmental science programmes in 10 African countries reinforces the importance of these collaborations [ 35 ] that also create a global network of experts to provide mentorship in biodiversity studies. Nonetheless, collaborators from abroad merely play a supportive role [ 35 , 58 ], and the research is often driven by donor objectives rather than the real priorities identified in scientific fora.…”

Section: Challenges With Funding and Researchmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Our recent review on environmental science programmes in 10 African countries reinforces the importance of these collaborations [ 35 ] that also create a global network of experts to provide mentorship in biodiversity studies. Nonetheless, collaborators from abroad merely play a supportive role [ 35 , 58 ], and the research is often driven by donor objectives rather than the real priorities identified in scientific fora. Furthermore, international research and funding agencies are not within the governance of the host countries.…”

Section: Challenges With Funding and Researchmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Africa's Great Rift Valley, with extraordinary geographical features of numerous deep and spectacular gorges cutting into the margins of a plateau, is a source of many rivers and streams [34], flowing either into the inland lentic ecosystems or into the sea. The region also harbours the African Great Lakes that hold over 25% of the world's unfrozen freshwater [35,36] and more than 90% of Africa's total freshwater [37]. Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in Africa also support numerous habitats with exclusive reservoirs of the world's biodiversity, including eight of the world's 36 recognized biodiversity hot spots [38]; they host approximately one-quarter of the world's mammals and birds [39] and have the second largest tropical rainforest with unmatched endemic species globally [40], in addition to aquatic inland and marine amphibians, reptiles and fish [41].…”

Section: Ecosystems In Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We observed some regular, but also irregular or rare monitoring in some catchments, mainly when sporadic funds or short-term projects became available [ 36 ]. Our second review on training aquatic and environmental scientists in ten countries in this region observed only a handful of academic institutions with postgraduate programmes in the disciplines, in addition to limited specialized human resources grappling with a multitude of socioeconomic challenges [ 35 ]. These case studies reinforce the problem with biodiversity data deficiency, the need for long-term monitoring and generally the dearth of reliable studies to inform decision making, as well as the need for empowerment of the institutional capacity to train experts able to conduct reliable research on biodiversity–ecosystem linkages and make recommendations to guide the implementation of biodiversity–conservation policies.…”

Section: Case Study Of African Great Lakes Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Monitoring biodiversity loss in rapidly changing Afrotropical ecosystems: an emerging imperative for governance and research

Achieng

Arhonditsis

Mandrak

et al. 2023

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Africa is experiencing extensive biodiversity loss due to rapid changes in the environment, where natural resources constitute the main instrument for socioeconomic development and a mainstay source of livelihoods for an increasing population. Lack of data and information deficiency on biodiversity, but also budget constraints and insufficient financial and technical capacity, impede sound policy design and effective implementation of conservation and management measures. The problem is further exacerbated by the lack of harmonized indicators and databases to assess conservation needs and monitor biodiversity losses. We review challenges with biodiversity data (availability, quality, usability and database access) as a key limiting factor that impacts funding and governance. We also evaluate the drivers of both ecosystems change and biodiversity loss as a central piece of knowledge to develop and implement effective policies. While the continent focuses more on the latter, we argue that the two are complementary in shaping restoration and management solutions. We thus underscore the importance of establishing monitoring programmes focusing on biodiversity–ecosystem linkages in order to inform evidence-based decisions in ecosystem conservation and restoration in Africa. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Detecting and attributing the causes of biodiversity change: needs, gaps and solutions’.

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Section: Challenges With Funding and Researchmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Challenges With Funding and Researchmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Ecosystems In Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Case Study Of African Great Lakes Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Monitoring biodiversity loss in rapidly changing Afrotropical ecosystems: an emerging imperative for governance and research

Achieng

Arhonditsis

Mandrak

et al. 2023

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…Currently, African Institutions Training Fisheries experts are few, and some offer these as short courses, or those offering degree programs, do so only for a few years, and then the program closes [176] due to limited facilities, qualified personnel, and financial support for students. According to [177], out of 329 Institutions in 10 countries within the Great Lakes of Africa region that offer academic programs in aquatic sciences, only 23% offered specialized programs in Aquatic sciences, with the rest offering nonspecialized programs such as general Ecology, Environmental Sciences, and Natural Resource Management. Drawing from the strategy of specialization applied by China in the growth and development of aquaculture, there is a need for African countries to develop and mount degree programs that are specialized in Aquaculture, especially at the postgraduate level of study.…”

Section: Policy Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards Sustainability in Seed Supply for African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) Culture in Kenya: Lessons from Asian Catfishes Industry

Barasa,

Ouma

2024

Aquaculture Research

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The culture of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, is constrained by the high mortality of fry, occasioning a shortage of high-quality seeds for stocking by farmers. Asia, a continent with many success stories for aquaculture, leads in farmed production of some catfishes, a diverse group of 37 different families. Globally, the culture of catfishes ranks fifth in global farmed finfish production. Globally, Vietnam leads in the production and export of farmed striped catfish, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, with 1,400,000 tonnes produced annually from about 7,000 hectares. Similarly, China farmed the non-native Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, into the major crop, with a current annual production of 250,000 tonnes. On the contrary, C. gariepinus, the main farmed catfish species in Africa, records low annual yields, with 240,000 tonnes for the whole continent. This paper explores the factors behind the high production of P. hypophthalmus and I. punctatus in Vietnam and China, respectively, and draws lessons for C. gariepinus farmers in Africa. Specifically, the use of differentiated hatchery and nursery husbandry practices was critical in boosting seed production, quantity, availability, and distribution for expanding the culture of P. hypophthalmus in Vietnam. Improvement of fish species through well-designed genetic improvement programs helped China substantially increase production of I. punctatus. For both species, intensive fish production, as well as the adoption and implementation of suitable policies, increased seed production from hatcheries in both countries. These are discussed as some of the factors that spurred catfish production in the two Asian countries. We argue that if these are adopted by farmers in Africa, they could help improve the production of farmed C. gariepinus on the continent for food and nutrition security as well as generation of livelihood for local communities.

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Future success and ways forward for scientific approaches on the African Great Lakes

Lawrence,

Achieng,

Chavula

et al. 2023

Journal of Great Lakes Research

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The future of education and training in aquatic science within African Great Lakes

Cited by 4 publications

References 35 publications

Monitoring biodiversity loss in rapidly changing Afrotropical ecosystems: an emerging imperative for governance and research

Monitoring biodiversity loss in rapidly changing Afrotropical ecosystems: an emerging imperative for governance and research

Towards Sustainability in Seed Supply for African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) Culture in Kenya: Lessons from Asian Catfishes Industry

Future success and ways forward for scientific approaches on the African Great Lakes

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