9 research outputs found
Assessment of the Effectiveness of Chilling Method in Mitigating Human-Elephant Conflicts in Western Serengeti, Tanzania
No full textNavigating Grassroots Innovation Journey in Tanzania: Factors Shaping Innovation
No full textGrassroots innovation is increasingly recognized for its potential to address localized challenges and promote sustainable development. This study addressed the factors influencing grassroots innovation journeys in Tanzania, utilizing PESTLE and SWOT analysis frameworks. A cross-sectional design was used to collect qualitative data guided by a semi-structured questionnaire from 35 grassroots innovators. 16 innovators were purposively selected from the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) innovators database, 11 were purposively selected from Mashindano ya Kitaifa ya Sayansi, Teknolojia na Ubunifu (MAKISATU) databases and 8 innovators were purposively selected from 2020, 2021 and 2022 and participants in the 45th and 46th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair Exhibition (SABASABA) in 2021 and 2022. Key informant interviews and observations supplemented the collected data, identifying different prototypes according to the stages of innovation. Innovators were selected from 11 sectors: Agriculture, Information and Communication Technology, Environment, Energy, Engineering, Education, Health, Security, Transport, Industrial and Water. The findings highlight the critical role of political support, economic stability, technological access and community engagement in fostering successful grassroots innovation journeys. The study offers policy recommendations to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of grassroots innovation initiatives in Tanzania. Emphasizing the need for stable funding, robust legal frameworks and holistic approach to address multifaceted challenges. This includes policy reforms, economic incentives, societal attitude shifts, technological support, legal clarity and infrastructural improvements. By tackling these issues comprehensively, Tanzania can create a more vibrant and inclusive innovation ecosystem, unlocking the potential of its innovators to drive sustainable development and economic growth
Stakeholders dynamics in the grassroots innovation journey in Tanzania: a swot analysis
No full textJournal articleThe study analyzes the roles of various stakeholders in Tanzania’s grassroots innovation journey
using a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. The study examines
key actors, including government agencies, private sector organizations, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), international donors and grassroots innovators to assess their impact on the
innovation ecosystem. A cross-sectional design was employed to collect qualitative data from 35
grassroots innovators, selected through purposive sampling from sources such as the Tanzania
Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) database, Mashindano ya Kitaifa ya
Sayansi, Teknolojia na Ubunifu (MAKISATU) records, and participants in the Dar es Salaam
International Trade Fair Exhibition (SABASABA). Data were gathered through semi-structured
questionnaires, key informant interviews and observations. The SWOT analysis reveals that
stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST) and
COSTECH provide crucial policy and funding support but face challenges like bureaucratic delays
and budget constraints. Other institutions, including the Vocational Education and Training
Authority (VETA), Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO), National Institute of
Transport (NIT) and Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) are recognized for their role in
incubating grassroots innovations. The private sector and international donors contribute financial
and technical support, yet issues related to trust and alignment with grassroots needs hinder their
effectiveness. The findings emphasize the need for enhanced collaboration, improved coordination
and streamlined administrative processes to strengthen stakeholder involvement in grassroots
innovation
Perceptions of innovation system stakeholders towards grassroots innovators in Tanzania
No full textJournal articleThis study explores the perceptions of various stakeholders toward grassroots innovators in
Tanzania and how these views shape the innovation ecosystem. Stakeholders, including
government agencies, private sector actors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and
international donors, influence the grassroots innovation journey through their support, policies,
and funding mechanisms. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected from 35 grassroots
innovators through semi-structured questionnaire, key informant interviews, and observations.
Innovators were selected from the COSTECH database, Mashindano ya Kitaifa ya Sayansi,
Teknolojia na Ubunifu (MAKISATU) records, and participants in the Dar es Salaam International
Trade Fair Exhibition (SABASABA). The findings indicate that while institutions such as the
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST) and COSTECH are seen as crucial for
policy support, bureaucratic delays and budget constraints limit their effectiveness. Meanwhile,
organizations such as the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA), Small Industries
Development Organization (SIDO), National Institute of Transport (NIT), and Dar es Salaam
Institute of Technology (DIT) are perceived as more accessible and hands-on in supporting
grassroots innovators. However, challenges persist in aligning private sector and international
donor support with grassroots needs due to issues of trust and mismatched priorities. The study
underscores the importance of addressing these perceptions to enhance stakeholder engagement,
improve resource distribution and foster a more inclusive innovation ecosyste
Navigating grassroots innovation journey in Tanzania: factors shaping innovation
No full textJournal articleGrassroots innovation is increasingly recognized for its potential to address localized challenges
and promote sustainable development. This study addressed the factors influencing grassroots
innovation journeys in Tanzania, utilizing PESTLE and SWOT analysis frameworks. A cross-
sectional design was used to collect qualitative data guided by a semi-structured questionnaire from
35 grassroots innovators. 16 innovators were purposively selected from the Tanzania Commission
for Science and Technology (COSTECH) innovators database, 11 were purposively selected from Mashindano ya Kitaifa ya Sayansi, Teknolojia na Ubunifu (MAKISATU) databases and 8 innovators
were purposively selected from 2020, 2021 and 2022 and participants in the 45 th and 46th Dar es
Salaam International Trade Fair Exhibition (SABASABA) in 2021 and 2022. Key informant
interviews and observations supplemented the collected data, identifying different prototypes
according to the stages of innovation. Innovators were selected from 11 sectors: Agriculture,
Information and Communication Technology, Environment, Energy, Engineering, Education, Health,
Security, Transport, Industrial and Water. The findings highlight the critical role of political support,
economic stability, technological access and community engagement in fostering successful
grassroots innovation journeys. The study offers policy recommendations to enhance the
effectiveness and sustainability of grassroots innovation initiatives in Tanzania. Emphasizing the
need for stable funding, robust legal frameworks and holistic approach to address multifaceted
challenges. This includes policy reforms, economic incentives, societal attitude shifts, technological
support, legal clarity and infrastructural improvements. By tackling these issues comprehensively,
Tanzania can create a more vibrant and inclusive innovation ecosystem, unlocking the potential of
its innovators to drive sustainable development and economic growth
A bridge over troubled waters
No full textGreen Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Water Resource
Does a Citizen Science Approach Enhance the Effectiveness of Flood Early Warning Systems? Evidence from the Akaki Catchment, Ethiopia
No full textPublisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s).Flooding has emerged as a significant concern in the Akaki catchment area of Ethiopia, affecting settlements and properties. Early warning systems (EWSs) are implemented to reduce flood risks, but power dynamics among at-risk communities and stakeholders have raised concerns about the reliable accessibility of warning information. We integrated a citizen science approach into existing flood EWSs to promote inclusivity, local perspectives, and equitable expertise distribution in flood early warning. It draws on primary data collected through diverse methods, alongside an extensive review of documents from the years 2021 to 2022. The analysis of qualitative data indicates the integration of citizen science into a flood EWSs delivers dependable early warning information and encourages the establishment of networks. This approach reduces dependence on external entities, enhances local decision-making capabilities, and promotes a sense of ownership, empowerment, and trust. This can transform the dynamics and responsibilities linked to flood management. However, the longer-term participation of citizen scientists in flood EWSs is challenging due to the disparity between commitment levels and benefits, lack of legal frameworks, and insufficient recognition of community diversity within policy frameworks. The research herein emphasizes the significance of understanding power dynamics and institutional capacities in integrating citizen science into flood EWSs. It offers valuable perspectives for policymakers, practitioners, and communities on participatory governance, social equity, and the resilience of communities in the face of environmental challenges.Peer reviewe
A Politics of Global Datasets and Models in Flood Risk Management
No full text\ua9 THIS ARTICLE IS DISTRIBUTED UNDER THE TERMS OF THE CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION-NONCOMMERCIAL-SHAREALIKE LICENSE WHICH PERMITS ANY NON COMMERCIAL USE, DISTRIBUTION, AND REPRODUCTION IN ANY MEDIUM, PROVIDED THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR(S) AND SOURCE ARE CREDITED. SEE HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY-NC-SA/4.0/DEED.ENMomentum and interest have gathered around global flood risk datasets and models (GFMs). Such tools are often argued to be particularly useful in contexts where relevant data – such as stream flow and human settlement location – is sparse, inconsistent, or non-existent. As a relatively new technology, the technical limitations of GFMs – as specifically technical methodological challenges – have been quite well explored in existing literature. However, through engagement with literature, government policy documents and plans, and interviews with academic and commercial experts in Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Malaysia, and the UK, we show that their relevance and utility in reality cross-cut the technical, the political, and the social. We argue that GFMs risk becoming another means through which states and other powerful actors re-imagine floods as technical challenges, while they are at root political-economic dilemmas (cf. Ferguson, 1994). This is linked to the ways that such technologies advance, becoming increasingly computationally powerful and accurate, and to the mutually reinforcing roles they play in relation to various \u27fantasy plans’ produced by governmental and other agencies (Weinstein et al., 2019). By focussing on an extended case study in the Akaki Catchment, Ethiopia, we argue that such fantasy plans – like those blueprinting urban development – serve to buttress state power through the performance of stability and reliability, while they avoid effectively tackling, or may even exacerbate, the political-economic realities which drive unequitable and unsustainable development. Such forms of development are directly linked to increasing flood risk both locally and globally
Amazonian plants from ethnomedicine to biotechnology through pharmaceutical biology approaches: a PhD experience in connecting forest with laboratory
No full textThe South american Natives, Shuar and Achuar people and their ethnomedical culture constitute the
background subject of the Phd research, performed both in Ecuador (Salesian Politechnic University,
Quito), and in Italy (Pharmaceutical biology labs, University of Ferrara). Based on ethnomedical
responses, Piper aduncum, Maytenus macrocarpa, Schinus molle, Tecoma stans and Eugenia hallii were
chosen as amazonian plant species subject of the research.
AIMS
The research has been focused on:
− checking the presence of endophytic fungi in plants;
− isolating and subculturing pure endophytic strains;
− checking the biotransformation capacity of the isolated endophytes on pure compounds; the most
performing endophytes were also tested on phytocomplexes and pure chemicals obtained by the
plant from which the fungi were isolated;
− phytochemical characterization and bioactivity assays of plant extracts: P. aduncum.
−
METHODS
Biotransformations. Fresh aerial plant parts were properly washed in sanitizing solutions and in vitro
cultured using adequate solid media to isolate endophytes. (+/-)-cis-bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-one,
acetophenone, 1-indanone, 2-furyl methyl ketone, 2-methylcyclopentanone, 2-methylcyclohexanone, 2-
methoxycyclohexanone were chosen as substrate model for biotransformations. The cultures were
sampled after 1, 3, 7, 10 days of culturing, and ethyl acetate extracted to verify by GC-MS the presence of
possible biotransformation products. Biotransformations were also checked on P. aduncum whole
essential oil and on dillapiol, cis-ocimene, piperitone, (-)-terpinen-4-ol as most abundant chemicals.
Chemical fingerprinting of P. aduncum essential oil. Steam distillation was adopted to obtain the essential
oil, then characterized by GC-MS, NMR analyses.
In vitro bioassays of P. aduncum essential oil. Antimicrobial activities were checked in vitro using proper
agarized media to reach MIC. Antioxidant capacities were checked through DPPH test, ABTS and
photochemiluminescence assays. Born's turbidimetric method and Writhing test were respectively
adopted to check platelet-aggregation and anti-nociceptive properties. Mutagenic, antimutagenic
properties and toxicity were assayed using classical and modified Ames test.
MAIN RESULTS
364 fungal strains were in vitro isolated. Among all, 5 strains performed biotransformations on
acetophenone to (S)-1-phenylethanol, with important yields (78-97%) and enantiomeric excess (78-
100%). Three strains gave also phenols probably by enzymatic reactions (Baeyer-Villiger oxidations). 15
fungal strains gave the lactones (-)-(1S,5R)-2-oxabicyclo[3.3.0]oct-6-en-3-one and (-)-(1R,5S)-3-
oxabicyclo[3.3.0]oct-6-en-2-one from (+/-)-cis-bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-one, probably as result of
monooxygenase activation. Phytochemical characterization of P. aduncum essential oil has evidenced
dillapiol as the most abundant terpene, followed by cis-ocimene, piperitone and terpinen-4-ol. Only cisocimene
and piperitone gave several biotransformation products through dehydrogenation and
hydroxylation reactions. The essential oil has evidenced non-mutagenic properties and interesting
antifungal and antioxidant activities.
CONCLUSIONS
Several endophytic fungal strains from Amazonian plants were isolated and checked for
biotransformations on pure chemicals and on P. aduncum essential oil. Data obtained will be useful for
possible following patents about micro-organisms able to transform pharmaceutically interesting
chemicals. Taxonomical characterization of the most performing fungal strains is still in progress. P.
aduncum essential oil can be considered genotoxically safe and provides interesting antifungal and
antioxidant properties, supporting its ethnomedical use as cicatrising and disinfectant crude drug and
suggesting an extension of its employ as preservative ingredient
