Centre on African Public Spaces’ Post

🌍 Call for Proposals – Science & Innovation for Sustainable Forest Management, biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction in Central Africa🌱 Are you an organization with expertise in science, innovation, and sustainable development? The Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), is offering up to 2,2 MUSD of grants and inviting eligible organizations to submit proposals for projects contributing to the preservation of tropical Congo Basin forests. 🔎 Purpose: This Call for Proposals (CFP) aims to select implementing organizations capable of effectively delivering scientific projects aligned with the CAFI Science & Innovation Framework. Proposals may address one or more priority themes and must comply with the detailed guidelines provided. 💡 Who can apply? Academic and research institutions Indigenous Peoples Organizations (IPOs) Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) 📅 Deadline to submit your proposal: January 15, 2025 For full details and application guidelines, visit 👉 https://lnkd.in/eZa77Vz9 Together, let’s drive innovation and science to address scientific data gaps related to the Congo Basin forests, further informing policy and programmatic decisions. 🌳💚 #ScienceAndInnovation #SDGs #ClimateAction #CAFI

Wishing our community across the globe a very happy new year as together we continue to pursue our mission of human(e) centred public spaces at the heart of African cities. Our team of public space enthusiasts is back at work and deep in preparation for our first major event of 2025 - the African Forum on Urban Forests taking place in Johannesburg 18 - 21 March. A big thank you to all who have already submitted proposals to organise a side event at this important regional gathering exploring how we can use urban forests to shape the future resilience of African cities. If you are joining us at #AFUF2025 and would like to organise a side-event at the conference (in the form of a workshop/ presentation/ skills training session/ film viewing/ debate/ conversation …) the team has extended our deadline to ensure everyone has an opportunity to submit. The new deadline for submission of proposals is January 17, 2025. Proposals can be submitted in English, French or Portuguese. Follow this link to register your interest: https://lnkd.in/eMqVtJRu. The organisers are here to support your in planning your session, please contact aroji@jhbcityparks.com or noreply@afuf.co.za if you have any questions or need support in finding speakers for your side-event. Do note that all side events will be held are in the main venue of the forum and will be made available free of charge. Interpreting services in and from English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic will also be provided free of charge. All other costs related to the organisation of the side events (e.g., travel costs for invited speakers, any coffee breaks, devices not available in the rooms) will be the responsibility of the applicants. We look forward to receiving your submissions! #urbanforests #urbanafrica #africanpublicspaces #greeningAfrica #greencities #climatecrisis #climateaction #cities4all #youthled #cities4children #informalsettlements #communityaction #resilience City of Johannesburg UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) World Urban Campaign by UN-Habitat FAO Gauteng Department of Agriculture Land Reform & Rural Development Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE)

A growth opportunity!

It was a pleasure to speak Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts about our Biodiversity Challenge Funds funded work integrating medicine & conservation in Papua New Guinea's rainforests (joint project of Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP), New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, & PNG Institute of Medical Research). The project has provided health services to previously medically neglected indigenous peoples who protect 150km2 of biodiverse rainforests. We are now looking to replicate this successful approach across other sites in #PapuaNewGuinea. Photo by John Drury. To find out more have a look at these free-to-read articles: * Health service needs and perspectives of a rainforest conserving community in Papua New Guinea’s Ramu lowlands: a combined clinical and rapid anthropological assessment with parallel treatment of urgent cases. BMJ Open 2023. https://lnkd.in/e8Uz6C5j * Rationale, experience and ethical considerations underpinning integrated actions to further global goals for health and land biodiversity in Papua New Guinea. Sustainability Science 2020. https://lnkd.in/eT2Y-iXA #SDG3 #SDG13 #SDG15 #planetaryhealth #globalhealth #climateaction

#AfricaDay 2024 (25 May) has come and gone. But it was a great time to have our paper on Ethiopian wetlands published in the African Journal of Aquatic Science. Wetlands have played seminal roles in the development and dynamics of African civilisations. In contemporary times, wetlands and associated biodiversity face escalating threats, which in turn, accrue to communities of people dependent on wetland-derived natural resources. Our paper hopefully helps to elevate the status of wetland research in Africa, and the many contributions of African and allied scientists who apply their minds to wetland conservation. The paper features the work of Ethiopian PhD Candidate and lead author, Abraham Tuji's research at Stellenbosch University. The focal topic: applying a social-ecological systems conceptual framework to Boyo Wetland, Ethiopia. The paper may be found here: https://lnkd.in/dWxBTZpg We respectfully acknowledge the contribution of the late Prof. Jacobs to the original conceptualisation and supervision of this research.

🌍 New Publication: The place of vegetation in the town I am pleased to share with you my second article as part of my PhD thesis at CERViDA-DOUNEDON titled “Dynamics of Built-Up Areas and Loss of Vegetation in Secondary Towns: Case Study of Sarh Town in Chad, Central Africa". This article has just been published in the journal #Sustainability by MDPI, indexed in the SCOPUS database. The objective of this study is to inform the scientific community about the extent of built-up area expansion and vegetation loss in the Sarh town, in southern Chad. The findings provoke critical debates on sustainable land management in the context of the rapid expansion of secondary towns in Africa. 🔍 Scientific Contribution of the Article - Quantification of the extent of built-up area expansion and vegetation loss in the Sarh town, Chad, from 1994 to 2022. - Evaluation of the effectiveness and sustainability of land use using the United Nations SDG 11.3.1 indicator. - Identification of development and #urban #planning issues for sustainable land use. - Proposal of practical and context-specific solutions, such as strengthening the capacities of local communities, developing clear and effective land policies, creating affordable housing programmes, and allocating dedicated budgets for the maintenance of urban green spaces for sustainable land management and the restoration of urban vegetation. Using the Sarh town in Chad as a case study, the results offer perspectives with broader applicability across sub-Saharan Africa and other regions of the world. #Acknowledgements I would like to express my sincere gratitude to CERViDA-DOUNEDON and the The World Bank Group for their financial and institutional support, which has been crucial to the success of this research. This article an Open Access and can be accessed here: https://lnkd.in/d2rvhZWR Previously Published Paper in Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development (JIPD) : Factors hindering the implementation of urban planning tools in Central Africa: Case study of reference urban plan for Sarh town (Chad):https://lnkd.in/degBvuQQ #Vegetation; #urban #sprawl; #SDG 11.3.1 #Indicator; #Sustainable #environmental; #Alliance #cities; #secondary @towns; Urbanisation, CERViDA-DOUNEDON, The World Bank, United Nations

Exciting news! 🐘🌽 I’m super excited to share the release of our latest report, Farmers’ Experiences of Mobile Electric Fences for Human-Elephant Coexistence: Insights and Recommendations from Service Design Research in Gabon. The report has been produced with amazing partners at Space for Giants and IRET/CENAREST, and with the engagement of the incredible communities in Gabon working hard to find solutions that protect both livelihoods and wildlife. It explores how mobile electric fences are helping rural farmers protect their crops from elephant damage. Using service design and behavioural insights, we gathered key findings and practical recommendations to make these interventions (even) more effective and sustainable. 🔑 Key Highlights: - Farmers report high satisfaction with fences, which are 95% effective and well-suited to their needs. - Key challenges include cooperation in collectively used fences, the tiring nature of maintenance, and the need for continued innovation as elephants may learn to breach fences over time. - Our recommendations focus on enhancing outreach, training, and long-term planning for peaceful human-elephant coexistence. A big thank you to everyone who contributed to making this work possible, especially Christian Mikolo Yobo, Eric Chehoski, Claudel Tshibangu, Maurice Schutgens, Margeorie Babicka, Michel Mbazonga, Dieudonné Okone Bidzang, Nelson Misseguet, and Natalie Pearson, as well as the workshop and interview participants who took part in this research. I’m very proud of this collaboration and hope the report serves as a valuable resource for those working on human-elephant conflict mitigation in Gabon and beyond. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/grjTeSuy. Stay tuned for the French translation coming out soon, and a related research article to follow! #Conservation #Sustainability #Policy #HumanElephantCoexistence #HEC #HWC #ServiceDesign #Gabon #WildlifeProtection

Chuene Priscah Lakane is an environmental scientist currently pursuing her PhD in estuarine water quality research at Nelson Mandela University. Her work focuses on the impacts of anthropogenic activities on water quality and the ecological health of coastal environments. For this, she utilised the Digital Earth Africa Sandbox to track changes in water extent for Verlorenvlei Estuarine Lake which experiences cycles of drying and refilling. These fluctuations in water levels have led to increased acidity in the lake. She has the opportunity to share her findings with stakeholders in the Western Cape Department of Water and Sanitation, with the goal of being able to support policy decisions and risk mitigation strategies where needed. Going forward, Priscah sees interesting possibilities using Digital Earth Africa for her research, making it far quicker where previously she had been more reliant on digitising everything and supporting this with drone footage. Read more here: https://ow.ly/yjpP50Uloz6 #earthobservation #satellitedata #waterquality #africa #climatescience

The impact of living organisms, fauna and flora, on built structures of cultural significance is not yet fully understood. Studies in temperate regions show that plants and animals can sometimes damage stone buildings, while in other cases, they might protect or help preserve them. In tropical countries, however, those findings are not yet known - something that scientist Jokotola Omidiji is clearing up. The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria, which is one of the last protected forests in the area, shows the link between cultural traditions and the environment. "Unfortunately," points out Jokotola, "the statutes and structures in the grove are showing signs of damage, like cracks and peeling, highlighting the urgent need for monitoring programs that inform sustainable repairs and protection of structures." "This approach of integrating Digital Earth Africa’s geospatial data with quantitative fieldwork in my research aligns with my broader goal of advancing ecosystem monitoring and sustainable coastal adaptation solutions," says Jokotola. Visit the Digital Earth Africa website to learn more about here research here: https://ow.ly/I8pN50Tx0I1 Jokotola's research and use of Digital Earth Africa datasets is critical for creating innovative, nature-based solutions that strengthen human-nature relationships and inform better policy-making. We would love to hear from others like Jokotola who are using Digital Earth Africa's tools, platforms and services in your real-world setting, in research, and in experimentation. Please contact us using the following form: https://ow.ly/fh3t50Tx0I0 Access to the Digital Earth Africa Sandbox, and all our services and maps are completely free and accessible for all! #eodatachampion #climatechange #climateaction #innovation #africa #eodata

Sustainable transboundary aquifer management is key to the successful achievement of most SDG goals especially SDG 6.