Organised by: BRECcIA Project (Building REsearch Capacity for sustainable water and food security In drylands of sub-saharan Africa)
Conveners: University of Southampton, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Technical University of Kenya, Kenyatta University & Technology, University of Ghana, AGRHYMET Regional Center, LeadSA, University of Malawi and WaterNet
Large areas of drylands in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are currently suffering from food and water insecurity, exacerbating poverty levels and intensity. There is a need for impactful research that leads to positive policy and practice change for sustainable water and food security in these areas. BRECcIA is a collaborative research project aimed at improving food and water security for the poorest of society in the drylands of SSA, represented by a consortium of 14 partners in SSA and the UK and funded under the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)'s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) programme. The research is designed through meaningful engagement with stakeholders ranging from local communities to policy makers and involves bringing together researchers from a wide range of disciplines, from the natural sciences to social sciences.
So far, this research has been undertaken within the frame of Small Research Projects (SRPs), characterised by local level research in principally Ghanaian, Kenyan and Malawian dryland areas. With BRECcIA now approaching its final year, it is beginning to upscale and synthesise its results through collaborative interdisciplinary Large Research Projects (LRPs) to address food a ...
Virtual 2 21st WaterNet/WARFSA/GWPSA Symposium waternet@waternetonline.org
Organised by: BRECcIA Project (Building REsearch Capacity for sustainable water and food security In drylands of sub-saharan Africa)
Conveners: University of Southampton, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Technical University of Kenya, Kenyatta University & Technology, University of Ghana, AGRHYMET Regional Center, LeadSA, University of Malawi and WaterNet
Large areas of drylands in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are currently suffering from food and water insecurity, exacerbating poverty levels and intensity. There is a need for impactful research that leads to positive policy and practice change for sustainable water and food security in these areas. BRECcIA is a collaborative research project aimed at improving food and water security for the poorest of society in the drylands of SSA, represented by a consortium of 14 partners in SSA and the UK and funded under the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)'s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) programme. The research is designed through meaningful engagement with stakeholders ranging from local communities to policy makers and involves bringing together researchers from a wide range of disciplines, from the natural sciences to social sciences.
So far, this research has been undertaken within the frame of Small Research Projects (SRPs), characterised by local level research in principally Ghanaian, Kenyan and Malawian dryland areas. With BRECcIA now approaching its final year, it is beginning to upscale and synthesise its results through collaborative interdisciplinary Large Research Projects (LRPs) to address food and water security challenges on a larger scale with a multi-country/regional focus. Lead researchers from a select number of SRPs will present their plans for upscaling via SRP to LRP synthesis, including how they ultimately intend to influence policy change based on recommendations resulting from their findings. The special session is open to all stakeholders (students, policy-makers, practitioners, and academics) in the water, agriculture, climate change, geography, geology, and land sectors, and welcomes other presentations external to BRECcIA, that have had similar experiences.
Session Agenda (Times in SAST)
Chair: Prof Joy Obando, Kenyatta University
| 14:00 – 14:05 | Welcome and introduction | Prof Jean-Marie Kileshye Onema, WaterNet |
| 14:05 – 14:20 | Presentation: Upscaling sustainable food and water security research in drylands of sub-Saharan Africa: The BRECcIA Approach | Prof Justin Sheffield, University of Southampton |
| 14:20 – 14:35 | Presentation: A journey in water research: from research to policy to practice | Prof Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, University of KwaZulu-Nata |
| 14:35 – 14:50 | Presentation: A decade of water resources research in the data and water limited environments of Middle Zambezi basin | Mr Webster Gumindoga, University of Zimbabwe |
| 14:50 – 15:00 | Presentation: Management challenges to balance wetland use for food and water security | Prof Sosten Chiotha, LEAD SEA |
| 15:05 – 15:20 | Discussion | Prof Sosten Chiotha, LEAD SEA |
| 15:20 – 15:35 | BRECcIA small research project video presentations: 1. Ms Eunice Shame – The nexus between policies, food and water security in drylands of Malawi 2. Dr Chengxiu Li – Monitoring agriculture intensification and expansion for measuring food security in sub-Saharan Africa 3. Dr Yaw Atiglo – Climate change, food beliefs and food security: gendered perspectives in drylands of northern Ghana 4. Dr Fiona Ngarachu – Building capacity for food and water security policy uptake in Kitui and Wajir counties of Kenya 5. Dr Francis Oloo – Predicting food and water insecurity from rainfall-induced land processes in Kajiado, Kenya | |
| 15:35 – 15:45 | Presentation: Understanding maize production in SSA: Upscaling BRECcIA Small Research Projects | Dr Joel Nobert, University of Dar Es Salaam. |
| 15:45 – 15:55 | Discussion | Prof Cosmo Ngongondo, University of Malawi |
| 15:55 – 16:00 | Wrap up & vote of thanks | Ms Gertrude Domfeh, University of Ghana |
