Water, Energy, And The Environment Articles

Tackling Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Challenges and Transforming Rural Communities

Water is vital in all spheres of human endeavours and is helpful as sources for man’s numerous needs and as wonderful sinks for wastewater. However, the water useable for domestic and drinking purposes, freshwater, is not only scarce, but it is also susceptible to pollution, and the contamination of water sources poses a great risk to drinking-water safety and environmental health. According to the 2023 United Nations World Water Development Report water scarcity is becoming endemic due to the local impact of physical water stress and freshwater pollution.The annual global economic losses resulting from inadequate water supply and sanitation continue to be estimated at $260 billion (USD). The 2025 SDG Report revealed that 2.2 billion people still lacked safely managed drinking water, 3.4 billion were without safely managed sanitation, and 1.7 billion lacked basic hygiene services at home. At 2026 World Water Week, speakers did mention that 2.1 billion people are without safe drinking water but then move on. Majority of these are in sub-Saharan Africans where about 70% of population lack basic sanitation, and less than 50% of the rural population have access to an improved water source.These challenges give me reasons to dare, utilizing water as the most robust platform for collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts and a valid bridge between laboratory and community-engaged research. It is my view that we should all be interested in water security and that there is a lot the individuals and communities can do. Additionally, my group drives platforms for conversations and capacity-building in the water and health sector. We MUST speak for the over two billion and the millions of cases of severe diarrhea and thousands of deaths that occur daily as a result.The sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Global South, and indeed the world, is not on track to meet the sustainable development goals (SDGs). A sustainable path to drinking water safety must address three areas and ask key questions: Availability (Is there enough water for hygiene and consumption?), quality (Is the available water safe to drink?), and reliability (Is safe water consistently available when needed?). All three constitute a critical challenge in rural communities.Although I started out doing laboratory research, after obtaining my PhD, I pivoted to community-engaged research, with focus on SSA where streams, rivers, springs and groundwater represent a substantial, strategic freshwater resource in many rural, urban and peri-urban areas. My research group identified water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)-related challenges and developed a novel Health Humanities Outreach (H2O) initiative, as a panacea to help in sustainable management and provision of safe water to rural communities and marginalized groups in the SSA region. The H2O initiative represents sustainable international collaboration for the purpose of understanding and improving the impacts of WASH on reducing human health risks using evidence-based microbiology and participatory theatre. It is an interdisciplinary intervention that provides the grounds for the collaborative convergence of Science, the Arts, and Humanities towards the successful delivery of SDGs 3, 5 and 6 in sub-Saharan Africa.The H2O-model has been successfully implemented at Itchi-Agu, Enugu State, Nigeria and the gains and challenges suggest it should be replicated to impact international efforts towards sustainable management and provision of safe water to rural communities, marginalized groups like the prevalent live-stock market settlements, and in emergency settings. The five key components of H2O initiative: 1) Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) pre- and post-intervention surveys; 2) Awareness creation, acceptance boosting and advocacy via media and theatre for development (TfD); 3) The 3Ts (testing, teaching, and treating) training workshops on water quality, tests for contamination, and affordable treatment options; 4) Creation of Water Source and Quality Monitoring Committee (WSQMC) for community-led water governance; and 5) Human health risks assessment and One Health antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance.Figure 1: Itchi-Agu community dwellers collecting water from Iyi-Odu stream The H2O initiative has empowerment at its core, and a high point of the Itchi-Agu outreach was the formation of the community’s WSQMC. Comprising impassioned community members, the seven-man committee would become instrumental in every facet of monitoring to ensure community-driven sustainability of the newfound knowledge and a determination to safeguard their community's health. Our group continues to provide technical support to the WSQMC, ensuring a sustainable approach to maintaining water quality. Indeed, drinking water quality testing at the community level is an effective approach to tackling the challenge of waterborne disease and ensuring water safety.The impact of the H2O initiative extends far beyond this initial implementation. The Itchi-Agu outreach success continues to be shared at International Conference on Water in Africa. Compelling video documentaries are accessible through AAP Project UNN and Itchi-Agu Project and the goal is to inspire others and promote the replication of this transformative model in communities facing similar challenges worldwide.We extend our deepest gratitude to Alliance for African Partnership, as well as Applied Microbiology International, and International Water and Health Alliances, for their invaluable support in making our outreach a success. Also, to Our Water and Health Network Africa (OWHN Africa) for partnering with us.

By: Yasmine Ben Slimane

Tuesday, Sep 15, 2026

WATER, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Water management versus Sustaining Livelihoods: Finding the Balance

Introduction and Research ContextMy research journey began with an investigation into a critical data gap regarding the hydrological dynamics of tropical wetland ecosystems, specifically focusing on the water storage capacity of papyrus wetlands. In Uganda, as is common across much of Sub-Saharan Africa, the vast majority of the population depends directly on agriculture for their livelihoods. Driven by rapid population growth and the pressing need to secure regional food supplies, current policy directives strongly favor agricultural modernization through the expansion of irrigated land, among other measures. Because wetlands serve as primary water sources for irrigation, increasing abstraction pressure demands a comprehensive understanding of how these fragile ecosystems regulate water availability and how their socio-ecological functions are affected by intensified human use.Eco-Hydrological Mechanisms and Climate CushioningMy early work addressed this knowledge gap by monitoring the spatial and temporal variations of papyrus root mats and the underlying water column depth across alternating wet and dry seasons. The empirical findings revealed a critical eco-hydrological mechanism, demonstrating that due to the inherent buoyancy of papyrus root mats, the mats rise in tandem with increasing seasonal inflows. This vertical displacement expands the volume of the sub-mat water column, significantly increasing wetland storage capacity during the wet season. This natural regulatory mechanism provides invaluable ecosystem services by mitigating downstream flooding events through peak-flow attenuation and preserving a vital hydrological reservoir that sustains agricultural productivity during dry spells.The Coupled Human-Environment Feedback LoopIn rural landscapes, local communities exhibit a high dependency on these systems, utilizing wetland margins for moisture-reliant edge cultivation and abstracting water for small-scale irrigation. However, over-exploitation accelerates ecosystem degradation through water drainage and vegetation clearance, which severely impairs the wetland’s regulatory capacity and compromises long-term agricultural yields. This tension underscores an intrinsic interconnectedness between wetland ecosystem services and rural survival, a dynamic that is frequently overlooked in standard environmental management. Consequently, a disruptive cyclic pattern emerges where agricultural encroachment triggers state backed evictions, which is followed by re-entry into wetlands by resource-dependent farmers. To break this destructive cycle, governance frameworks must treat ecological health and human livelihoods as a singular, coupled human-environment system rather than as isolated, independent variables. Treating environmental protection and human survival as separate problems often results in fragmented, short-sighted policies that fail to address the root causes of degradation.Systems Mapping and Archetype AnalysisTo get more insight, we conducted a comprehensive systems study using causal loop diagrams to map the feedback structures governing wetland agricultural systems in Uganda. The objective was to understand the underlying system structure and identify leverage points where strategic policy interventions could be implemented most effectively. Our structural analysis identified that the wetland agricultural system is best described using three prevalent system archetypes, which include the tragedy of the commons, shifting the burden, and fixes that fail. System dynamics literature suggests that the theoretical remedies for these archetypes involve instituting regulatory licensing or economic disincentives to ensure wise resource use, implementing short-term solutions alongside long-term structural management, and designing measures to slow the rate of ecological degradation, respectively.Strategic Leverage Points and Dual-Temporal GovernanceLooking at the governance situation in Uganda, all of these proposed measures are currently being implemented to varying degrees. However, they present as weak leverage points because they lack the capacity to alter the underlying system structure. True system transformation requires targeting stakeholder perceptions and mental models regarding sustainable resource management through sustained community sensitization. Because changing deep-seated perceptions is a long-term goal that cannot be achieved immediately, sustainable wetland governance requires a dual-temporal strategy. Short-term management goals should focus on immediate, localized ecological restoration activities, while long-term goals must prioritize funding alternative livelihood activities for resource-dependent communities alongside the continuous sensitization of all relevant stakeholders.Conclusion and Broader Environmental ImplicationsUltimately, while my own research focuses primarily on wetland ecosystem services, the principle that natural resource management must be approached through a systems lens holds true for all ecosystems. Moving forward, it is essential to look for institutional synergies and trade-offs rather than relying on fragmented, sectoral approaches. This systemic perspective is vital to mitigating conflict among stakeholders, conserving limited administrative resources, and ensuring long-term ecological resilience.

By: Yasmine Ben Slimane

Monday, Sep 28, 2026

WATER, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT

From Environmental Law to Environmental Justice

The environment does not suffer alone. When ecosystems are damaged, people bear the consequences, but they do not bear them equally. This realization has increasingly shaped my work in environmental law and has led me to a broader question: how can law protect the environment while also protecting the people whose lives, livelihoods, and futures depend upon it?My academic journey has therefore moved beyond viewing environmental protection simply as a question of regulation. As an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, my research has brought together environmental law and governance, climate justice, gender, human rights, wildlife crime, conservation governance, sustainability, and just energy transition. What connects these areas is my interest in the capacity of law to respond to environmental challenges in ways that are both effective and just.This became particularly clear through my research on gender and climate change. During my exchange research at the Centre for Human Rights, Addis Ababa University, supported by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, I examined African women’s disproportionate vulnerability to climate change. The experience deepened my understanding that environmental vulnerability is not experienced uniformly. The consequences of climate change are shaped by social and economic realities, including access to resources, decision-making structures, and opportunities to adapt.My research later took me into another, less examined dimension of environmental governance: wildlife trafficking and its gendered dimensions. As an African Futures Scholar funded by the Alliance for African Partnership at Michigan State University, I undertook postdoctoral research on women in wildlife trafficking in sub-Saharan Africa.That research was particularly important to me because it required looking beyond familiar narratives of conservation crime. Women are often discussed primarily as victims of environmental and economic vulnerability, yet their experiences within wildlife trafficking can be more complex. Understanding when women are victims, participants, or perpetrators, and how gender shapes these experiences, is essential to developing responses that are not only punitive but also informed by the realities that sustain environmental crime.This line of inquiry has continued through my recent TetFund-funded research on wildlife crime in Nigeria, which examined its gendered and ethnic-based dimensions among major ethnic groups. Together, these research experiences have strengthened my conviction that conservation cannot be separated from the communities, social structures, and human realities surrounding it. If we want to protect wildlife, we must also understand the people whose lives intersect with its protection and exploitation.My work has also reinforced the importance of taking environmental scholarship beyond the university. Through my consultancy with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Nigeria, I reviewed a Rapid Response Guide for Prosecutors and Investigators of Wildlife Crime in Nigeria and facilitated sensitization workshops for judicial officers and prosecutors on wildlife, fisheries, and forest crimes. These engagements showed me that rigorous research has its greatest value when it can inform institutions, strengthen legal responses, and contribute to practical solutions.The same lesson extends to the wider environmental challenges confronting Africa. Climate change, energy transitions, biodiversity loss, wildlife crime, and environmental degradation may appear to be separate problems, but they are deeply connected. They are ultimately questions of governance: who makes decisions, whose interests are considered, who bears the costs, and whether our legal and policy systems are capable of protecting both ecosystems and human dignity.This is why I increasingly understand environmental sustainability through the lens of justice. Sustainability cannot mean simply preserving forests, species, water, or other natural resources for their own sake. It must also ask whether the systems through which we protect those resources are fair, inclusive, and responsive to the people who depend upon them.For me, this is where law has an especially important role to play. Law can reproduce existing inequalities, or it can challenge them. It can treat environmental protection as an abstract regulatory exercise, or it can become an instrument for meaningful change. The choice matters because environmental decisions made today will shape the opportunities available to communities and generations tomorrow.Ultimately, the question is not whether we can leave the planet to the next generation unchanged. We cannot. The question is whether we will leave behind laws, institutions, and systems of justice strong enough to give both people and the planet a future.

By: Yasmine Ben Slimane

Tuesday, Sep 15, 2026

WATER, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Bridging Continents: Building Wildlife Health Partnerships and Training in the Kruger Ecosystem

I found myself in South Africa for the first time in August of 2023. As an assistant professor in the Fisheries and Wildlife department and a Wildlife Ecologist, I was thrilled to begin co-instructing our department’s long-standing wildlife conservation study abroad course. Despite extensive previous travel for both my colleague Dr. Jerry Urquhart and me, we were, for the first time, teaching students in the Kruger National Park in a “Big 5” savanna ecosystem. However, this was not our first time sharing knowledge through research and education and partnering widely for the conservation of wildlife populations. My work studying large mammal populations like deer and elk began twenty years ago and I’ve watched as changing land use, climates, and human values have shifted where and how wild animals thrive. Now, seeing elephants, lions, antelopes, and the occasional rhino in a vast National Park, the challenges and opportunities for this system feel new and old. A key goal of our course is to allow students to experience and study a complex socio-ecological system and compare it to the North American model of wildlife conservation. They come away from their 3-weeks in the Greater Kruger National Park ecosystem with new perspectives, challenged assumptions, and a love for the people and wildlife of South Africa.Our course was and continues to be based at the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC), a non-profit organization dedicated to training and education for wildlife conservation. The College provides unique access to wildlife professionals in the region, including lecturers, rangers, guides, and researchers, in an academic setting that facilitates both classroom and field learning interchangeably. In addition to numerous game drives, we do hands-on activities such as bird ringing, trail camera deployment for wildlife monitoring, field necropsy, and a wild rhino capture and dehorning. Students receive lectures and discussions from faculty at the college and from a wide variety of people connected to wildlife conservation in the region. I’ve connected this study abroad program to my research through support from the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) to formalize collaboration with the Southern African Wildlife College and the University of Pretoria. More recently, with the support of AAP, we’ve hosted workshops for advanced students and colleagues at the University of Pretoria and other local universities and NGOs. We are working to develop research collaborations that allow for simultaneous student training and field experiences while also answering research questions of mutual interest to multiple organizations. My work on large mammal ecology and disease ecology in North America has provided an opportunity to ask similar research questions in the Kruger ecosystem. Understanding how wildlife populations are affected by emerging diseases, for instance, is of particular importance in the Kruger where diseases that pose significant risk to humans, livestock, and wildlife populations occur. Often, wildlife is seen as the source of risk to livestock and human sectors. However, as a One Health practioner, I would argue that healthy wildlife populations buffer emerging disease risk to humans and livestock, and the wildlife population itself must be protected from spillover of pathogens from these sources. If a disease outbreak does occur, we need to be able to detect whether these outbreaks have significantly reduced a species' population abundance, and this requires robust wildlife population estimates as well. On the other hand, if wildlife populations have been subsidized by human land use or artificial water sources and become overabundant, disease can often spread more quickly and create challenges across sectors in this manner, too.I’m thankful for the opportunity to work with students, colleagues, and wild animals in a beautiful and complex country. Together, we will learn more from each other, educate the next generation, and better help the social-ecological systems that we love.

By: Yasmine Ben Slimane

Tuesday, Sep 15, 2026

WATER, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Smart Villages, Stronger Communities: Advancing Sustainable Development in Rural Nigeria

Food security, clean water, reliable energy, and economic opportunity are not separate challenges. Together, they form the foundation of healthy, resilient, and thriving communities. Yet around the world, millions of people continue to face barriers to accessing these necessities, challenges that are becoming increasingly difficult to overcome as climate change, population growth, and infrastructure limitations place additional strain on vulnerable communities.These challenges are particularly evident in rural Nigeria, where agriculture remains central to livelihoods and economic development. Taraba State, located in northeastern geopolitical zone of Nigeria, possesses tremendous agriculture potential. As Nigeria’s third largest state by land area, approximately 75% of its land is suitable for farming and aquaculture. Agriculture serves as the primary source of income for many residents, and the fertile lands surrounding the Taraba River provide opportunities to support both local livelihoods and national food production.Figure 1: Map of Nigeria showing Taraba State as well as Taraba, Niger River, and Benue Rivers (Courtesy of Arto Vitikka, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland). Despite these advantages, many rural communities continue to face significant development challenges. Taraba State has one of the lowest rates of electricity access in the country, and persistent infrastructure gaps limit opportunities for economic growth and improved quality of life. Rural-to-urban migration further compounds these challenges as younger generations leave in search of education and employment opportunities, leaving aging populations to sustain agricultural activities. As Nigeria’s population is projected to grow substantially in the coming decades, strengthening the resilience and productivity of rural communities will become increasingly important for regional and national food security. Recognizing the interconnected nature of these challenges, a multidisciplinary team of eight researchers from four universities across four countries (University of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Johannesburg, University of Lapland, and Michigan State University) has come together to explore how Smart Village strategies can support sustainable development in Gassol and Bali Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Taraba State. The project is guided by the understanding that food security, clean water, energy access, education and economic opportunity are deeply connected and must be addressed through integrated solutions rather than isolated interventions. Figure 2: PIRA team member, Mr. Gabriel Agou (second from the left), with Badija community representatives standing near the Taraba River during July visit. The work aligns closely with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those focused on ending hunger, ensuring access to clean water, providing affordable and clean energy, and promoting decent work and economic growth. While communities along the Taraba River possess fertile land, abundant water resources, and strong agricultural traditions, achieving these goals requires more than natural advantages alone. Sustainable progress depends on infrastructure, local capacity building, access to knowledge, and partnerships that empower communities to leverage their existing strengths. A central focus of the project has been understanding how Smart Village approaches can create practical and scalable pathways for development. Rather than relying solely on large infrastructure investments, Smart Village strategies emphasize community engagement, appropriate technologies, local leadership, and collaboration among researcher, government agencies, industry partners, and community stakeholders. The goal is to Identify solutions that improve quality of life while remaining sustainable and manageable within local contexts.One of the most rewarding aspects of the project has been direct engagement with community leaders, local stakeholders, and residents throughout the Gassol and Bali LGAs. These conversations provided valuable perspectives on community priorities, existing resources, and the challenges residents face in their daily lives. Listening to local voices reinforced an important lesson: meaningful and sustainable development initiatives must be developed with communities, not simply for communities. Figure 3: PIRA team members, Dr. Chidimma Frances Igboeli (far right) and Mr. Gabriel Agou (second from right), with the Sarkin (center) and some community chiefs during March 2026. Field visits offered equally valuable insights. Visiting communities and potential implementation sites provided the research team with a deeper appreciation for both the opportunities and barriers present within these rural areas. During on visit, the team encountered a non-functioning borehole that had once served as an important water source. The borehole stood as a visible reminder that infrastructure alone is not enough. Long-term maintenance, local ownership, and community capacity are essential to ensuring that investments continue to provide benefits long after installation.The field experience also highlighted the practical realities of working in remote areas. Seasonal rainfall, difficult terrain, and transportation limitations can significantly impact implementation schedules and access to communities. Understanding these conditions has been critical in planning future activities and identifying the most appropriate periods for travel, installation, and community engagement. Beyond research and assessment activities, the project has prioritized community capacity building through Short Learning Programs (SLPs) designed to share knowledge and empower residents. Emphasis has been placed on engaging women and youth, recognizing their important role in strengthening community resilience and driving long-term development.To move beyond planning and education toward implementation, the project includes a pilot Smart Village hub in the community of Badija. The hub will provide lighting, internet connectivity, cellular phone charging, and a dedicated gathering space for learning, collaboration, and community engagement. In addition to supporting continued educational programming, the hub will serve as a demonstration of how integrated infrastructure solutions can improve daily life and expand opportunities for rural residents.The pilot implementation represents an important step toward evaluating practical Smart Village strategies that could inform future efforts throughout Taraba State and beyond. Lessons learned from the project will help identify effective approaches for community ownership, long-term operation, and broader scalability. While financial and infrastructure constraints remain significant challenges, the project seeks to demonstrate how strategic partnerships, local engagement, and targeted investments can help communities make meaningful progress toward sustainable development.Figure 4: Non-functioning solar-powered borehole in Badija Ultimately, the project’s broader impact of this work extends beyond a single community or pilot installation. By bringing together expertise from four universities and working closely with local communities, the initiative seeks to develop a framework for strengthening food security, improving access to clean water and reliable energy, expanding economic opportunities, and enhancing resilience to environmental and economic change. The experiences gained in Gassol and Bali LGAs underscore an important truth: sustainable development is most successful when it builds upon the knowledge, commitment, and aspirations of the people it is intended to serve. Through research, education, and community-centered implementation, Smart Village strategies have the potential to help rural communities unlock existing strengths and create more resilient and prosperous futures.

By: Yasmine Ben Slimane

Tuesday, Sep 15, 2026

WATER, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Impact of PIRA Grant on Sharks, Whales, Coral, Students, and South Africa’s Largest Marine Park

I’ll never forget hitting the submit button for our PIRA proposal, Bridging the Gap: Strengthening Conservation, Community, and Education, in South Africa’s Largest Coastal Marine Protected Area. After months of meetings, discussion, and zoom calls which led to weeks of writing and rewriting, we felt excited and hopeful. We were thankful that Michigan State had an opportunity for projects like this but were also concerned because our project was so unique and different. The hard work paid off when we were named as one of the recipients of this funding. Not only were our main partners, the University of Pretoria, and the South African NGO SharkLife Conservation thrilled, but three other universities in the United States and two in South Africa were ready to help make a difference. The main objectives of the project were to hold several zoom sessions to allow collaboration between the different entities, and also to have three workshops in Sodwana Bay in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province of South Africa. The workshops had two main goals. First, to bring together researchers that work in the area to monitor, protect, and conserve the iSimangaliso marine park and World Heritage site. Second, to engage the community in order to recognize the importance and impact of this marine park on their lives.The work with the community has been one of the highlights of this project. Overall, the Zulu culture is focused on farming and raising cattle. Their interaction with the ocean by which they live is minimal. Each year, thousands of tourists from Europe and North America come to their area to scuba dive on one of the healthiest coral reefs left in the world. Yet, the local communities have not yet been exposed to the value of this resource. This project helped to change that. Being able to take a boat full of Zulu school children out on the ocean to listen to whales and dolphins and to watch these magnificent marine mammals leap out of the ocean was incredible. It was a life changing experience for all of those on the boat, me included. A few days later when we took the same children to snorkel in the tide pools, we were again able to witness more firsts for the students. The first time using a mask, the first time seeing a fish swim, the first time appreciating the underwater world. Encouraging the students to put on a mask and lay in the water in their soccer uniform while another student held their feet in 24 inches of water for safety was the barrier. The reward was to see their faces as they stood up in the water and spoke about a hundred words of Zulu with a big smile on their face and then turned to me to say “I saw beautiful fish” in English. What was meant to be a 30-minute activity in the tide pools, turned into over an hour. Each student wanted multiple turns, and I continuously consulted my Zulu-English guide to marine organisms. We later heard that the students told their families and everyone at their school about their experience so when we asked for volunteers for the next workshop, we had a plethora. Among the scientific researchers, we had similar positive results. For the second workshop we hosted professors from Michigan State University, Texas A&M, Mississippi State University, and North Carolina State University. In addition, we had South Africans researcher from the University of Pretoria, Nelson Mandela University and several marine focused NGOs. The governmental and monitoring entities from South African and Kwa-Zulu Natal were also present. It was the first time that such a diverse group came together to protect this World Heritage site and shared their expertise to advance the research and address issues that impact the site. In particular, it was critical for the South African governmental organizations to see how the various university researchers and NGOs were all working together toward a common goal. Following this workshop, several of the pitfalls that were preventing licensing and permitting seemed to evaporate because trust was built between the groups. Data sharing agreement were made and friendships were forged. We still have one remaining workshop to build upon this strong foundation. It will be a pleasure to return to Sodwana Bay again with all the progress of the previous two workshops for more engagement with the community and outputs from the scientific partners. It is one of those rare moments in life as a conservationist when you are optimistic and sure of the win-win-win. It is a win for the community because of the spark of curiosity and scientific knowledge we have started. It is a win for the organisms in the hugely biodiverse marine park to have more people caring about the future. Finally, it is a win for scientists and NGOs who study and want to protect this World Heritage Site.

By: Yasmine Ben Slimane

Thursday, Jun 4, 2026

WATER, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT

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Immersive Ocean Narratives: Advancing Impact Through XR Storytelling in Tanzania

Along the coastline of Tanzania, the Indian Ocean has shaped civilizations, livelihoods, spirituality, trade, language, and memory for centuries. From the Swahili fishing communities of the coast to the coral ecosystems surrounding islands such as Zanzibar and Kilwa, the ocean has never merely been water. It has always been an identity. Yet despite its importance, much of what is happening beneath the ocean surface remains invisible to the public eye. Coral reefs bleach silently. Fish populations decline gradually. Coastal communities struggle quietly with changing tides, rising temperatures, and unsustainable fishing pressures. Unlike floods or wildfires, the destruction of marine ecosystems happens out of sight. And because it is unseen, it is often ignored. This is precisely the urgency behind Heroes Of The Indian Ocean, one of Tanzania’s first immersive underwater XR documentary films, and Just Because You Don’t See, an immersive exhibition experience developed by Tanzanian multidisciplinary artist Alex Mkwizu through his studio SEEDE XR. Together, the XR film and exhibition that brought over 350+ ordinary citizens to the launch signal the emergence of a new creative movement in Tanzania — one where immersive storytelling, cultural heritage, documentary practice, environmental activism, and emerging technologies merge into a single emotional experience. At a time when immersive arts are transforming museums, cinemas, and cultural institutions globally, Tanzania is beginning to define its own voice within this new frontier through stories rooted in local communities, coastal realities, and African perspectives.A New Era of Storytelling in Tanzania For decades, environmental storytelling in Africa has relied heavily on traditional documentaries, photography, journalism, or policy reports. While these approaches remain important, they often struggle to emotionally connect audiences to environmental realities they rarely witness directly.Immersive storytelling changes that relationship entirely.Instead of merely observing a story, audiences enter it.Through XR, VR, spatial sound, interactive exhibition design, documentary photography, and sensory installations, immersive experiences create emotional proximity between people and distant realities. The audience no longer stands outside the narrative. They become part of it. Heroes Of The Indian Ocean and Just Because You Don’t See embrace this philosophy by inviting audiences to emotionally experience the realities of the Indian Ocean and the communities whose lives depend on it. The project asks a critical question:How do we create urgency for protecting our oceans? Its answer lies in immersion itself — allowing audiences to witness fragile coral ecosystems, hear firsthand coastal narratives, and emotionally engage with the consequences of climate change and marine destruction before it becomes irreversible.This marks a major shift in East African creative practice. Rather than separating art, science, activism, and technology, immersive storytelling combines them into one interconnected ecosystem.The Ocean as Cultural Heritage When discussing heritage in Africa, conversations often focus on architecture, archaeology, language, textiles, or oral traditions. Yet marine environments themselves are also archives of cultural memory.The Swahili coast has historically depended on the Indian Ocean for trade, food systems, navigation, spirituality, music, cuisine, and economic survival. Fishing communities possess generations of ecological knowledge — understanding tides, seasons, coral behavior, fish migration, and weather patterns through lived experience passed down over centuries.When coral reefs collapse, cultural memory disappears alongside biodiversity. Since coastal communities that have been dependent on fishing for generations and generations can’t continue their traditions. This is why immersive arts matter. They preserve not only visual records, but emotional memory, lived experience, and cultural relationships with nature. The exhibition Just Because You Don’t See follows the journey of a fisherman across seven stages of daily life: preparing equipment, sailing into the sea, setting traps, catching fish, returning to shore, and selling the catch within the community. This narrative structure is deeply significant because it centers coastal communities not as background subjects, but as protagonists of the story.Rather than presenting conservation as an abstract scientific issue, the exhibition grounds environmental change within the everyday realities of Tanzanian fishermen and coastal families. In many ways, this reflects the future of African heritage preservation: documenting living cultures through immersive media before environmental and social transformations erase them.Why Immersive Arts Create Stronger Emotional Impact Traditional media informs. Immersive media transforms perception.Unlike conventional documentaries or static exhibitions, immersive experiences activate multiple senses simultaneously. Audiences do not simply absorb information intellectually; they embody it emotionally. These layers create immersion not only technologically, but psychologically and physically. A visitor hearing the voices of fishermen while experiencing underwater imagery inside an immersive environment is far more likely to internalize the reality of marine collapse than someone scrolling through statistics online.This emotional activation is essential for conservation work because environmental crises often suffer from what psychologists describe as “distance fatigue.” People struggle to emotionally process issues that feel geographically or visually distant.Immersive arts reduce that distance.They allow audiences to feel present inside realities they would otherwise never encounter.Ocean Conservation Through Empathy One of the most powerful aspects of Heroes Of The Indian Ocean and Just Because You Don’t See is the understanding that conservation begins with empathy before policy.Society reacts immediately when forests burn or trees are cut because those events are visible. Yet coral bleaching, marine ecosystem collapse, and underwater biodiversity destruction often happen silently beneath the surface.The ocean becomes invisible infrastructure — essential to human life, yet emotionally disconnected from daily public awareness. Immersive storytelling changes this relationship by making the invisible visible.The projects highlight how oceans support food systems, oxygen production, tourism economies, and marine biodiversity while simultaneously revealing the fragility of coral ecosystems under climate pressure. Importantly, the work does not frame conservation purely as environmental protection. It frames it as cultural continuity, economic survival, intergenerational responsibility, and human connection.That distinction matters enormously in African contexts where environmental narratives have historically been disconnected from local communities and lived realities.Conclusion The significance of Heroes Of The Indian Ocean and Just Because You Don’t See extends far beyond technological innovation.They represent a new philosophy of storytelling — one where art becomes activism, memory becomes immersion, and conservation becomes emotionally personal.These projects remind audiences that the ocean is not separate from human life. It is intertwined with food systems, heritage, identity, labor, spirituality, and survival itself.Most importantly, they challenge society to confront a difficult truth: Just because we do not see environmental destruction happening beneath the ocean’s surface does not mean it is not happening. Immersive arts give us the rare ability to finally look beneath the surface — and perhaps, for the first time, truly feel the urgency before it is too late.

By: Yasmine Ben Slimane

Wednesday, Jun 10, 2026

WATER, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT

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Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) welcomes the largest cohort yet of African Futures Research L

Fourteen scholars from across the AAP consortium are embarking on a year-long program focused on artificial intelligence and sustainable futures East Lansing, Michigan — Alliance for African Partnership (AAP), a consortium of ten leading African universities, Michigan State University (MSU), and a network of African research institutes, is pleased to announce the sixth cohort of the African Futures Research Leadership Program, a competitive visiting scholar initiative supporting early career researchers from AAP member institutions. This year’s cohort — the largest in the program’s history — will explore the theme Artificial Intelligence in Africa: Transdisciplinary Innovations for Sustainable Futures. Each scholar is paired with mentors from their home institutions and MSU for one year of impactful research, professional development, including curriculum innovation, scholarly and policy writing, grant proposal development, as well as conference attendance. Scholars will engage both virtually and in person with mentors and colleagues across disciplines to co-create research that advances sustainable futures across the continent. “This sixth cohort marks a significant turning point for the African Futures Research Leadership Program,” said Jose Jackson-Malete, co-director of the Alliance for African Partnership. “Welcoming our largest and most interdisciplinary group of scholars to date highlights both the rising demand for collaborative research leadership opportunities and the strength of our partnerships across African institutions. The focus on artificial intelligence and sustainable futures also signals how the program continues to evolve to address emerging global and continental priorities while empowering scholars to lead transformative research in their fields.” This year’s scholars are: Patrick Wafula Wamalwa– Agricultural Engineering, Egerton University Evalyn Wanjiru Mwihia– Veterinary Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Egerton University Florence Ndibuuza– Higher Education, Makerere University Evah Maina– Pharmacy and Health Sciences, United States International University – Africa Keiphe Nani Setlhatlhanyo– Industrial Design and Technology, University of Botswana Bakadzi Moeti– Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, University of Botswana Thabang Madigoe– Business Management, University of Pretoria Sean Kruger– Economic and Management Sciences, University of Pretoria Sphiwe Skhosana– Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria Daurice Nyirongo– Open, Distance and eLearning (ODeL), Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources Elhadji Bassirou Toure– Mathematics and Computer Science, Université Cheikh Anta Diop Nedson Theonest Kashaija– Water Resources Engineering, University of Dar es Salaam Fochi Amabilis Nwodo– Property Law, University of Nigeria, Nsukka Salimatou Traoré– English, Université Yambo Ouologuem of Bamako The program will begin in February 2026 with virtual collaboration, followed by an in-person residency for nine of the scholars at MSU from August through December 2026, and continued virtual engagement into early 2027. Due to new visa restrictions, five scholars will participate virtually during the entire program. Scholars will receive a small grant for research, teaching, and professional development, including conference participation and publication support, as well as a stipend during their MSU residency along with visa and travel support. AAP aims for this cohort to generate innovative research aligned with AI’s potential to contribute to sustainable development in Africa — from health and education to environment, culture, governance, and entrepreneurship — and to lay the groundwork for long-term academic partnerships and future funding opportunities. For more information, visit the Alliance for African Partnership website. This project is made possible with the philanthropic support of Carnegie Corporation of New York

By: Justin Rabineau

Wednesday, Feb 18, 2026

AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS

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AAP Global Engagement Fund Support Arts-Based Youth Research and Engagement

When photographer and educator Prof. Peter Glendinning of Michigan State University returned to South Africa this September, his goal went far beyond presenting artwork. Supported by the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) Global Engagement Fund (GEF), Glendinning traveled to Johannesburg and Cape Town to advance a collaborative, arts-driven research initiative that is reshaping how youth experiences are documented and understood across Africa. For years, Glendinning has been developing Attached to the Soil, a project that pairs portrait photography with metaphor and narrative to explore young people’s aspirations, challenges, and identities. What began as a 2019 Fulbright project in South Africa has evolved—through sustained partnership—into a model for how the arts can generate meaningful social insight. This work aligns directly with AAP’s culture & society priority area, which supports projects that use cultural expression to address complex societal issues. Strengthening a Continental Research Partnership During his visit, Glendinning met with partners at University of Pretoria, one of AAP’s 12 member institutions, including Prof. Zitha Mokomane, a professor in the Department of Sociology and Deputy Dean for Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Humanities, who has been conducting sociological analysis of the project’s original youth-created images and stories. The findings point to recurring themes: belonging, hope, fear, opportunity, and the persistence of socio-economic barriers. With support from the Global Engagement Fund, the partners spent their time together outlining the next phase of the work—a potential 2027 pan-African expansion that could engage youth from multiple institutions and countries. The goal is to create one of the most comprehensive collections of narrative and visual data on African youth aspirations to date. “The dataset we envision would allow us to compare experiences across countries, contexts, and cultures, using the arts as a bridge,” Glendinning explained. The in-person meetings made possible by the GEF award were essential for refining the research design, establishing a shared methodological framework, and preparing for future proposal development. Cultural Institutions as Crucial Partners Glendinning’s work emphasizes not only the creation of new cultural materials but also the preservation of Africa’s photographic heritage. While in Johannesburg, he met with leaders at the Bensusan Museum of Photography to advance efforts to secure funding for preserving its internationally significant collection of historic photographic equipment and images. He also held discussions at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which held an 8-month exhibit of the project in 2023, exploring how youth-generated narratives from Attached to the Soil could contribute to public memory and civic learning through the foundation’s ongoing partnership. These engagements expand the project’s reach beyond academia and into community and heritage spaces—an approach deeply aligned with AAP’s focus on research for broader impact. Festival Participation Amplifies Youth Perspectives Glendinning’s work also reached public audiences during the inaugural Cape Town Photography Festival, where Attached to the Soil opened as an exhibition at the Simon’s Town Museum. The festival setting provided a platform for deeper conversation around the project’s themes. During a public dialogue, Glendinning and Malissa Louw, one of the original participants, spoke about the creative process and the realities behind the images—drawing attention to the power of youth storytelling as a form of social documentation. He also led two workshops: a digital photography master-class for community members and a session for 40 students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Both emphasized photography as a tool for reflection, empowerment, and evidence-gathering—illustrating how artistic training can support community insight and youth leadership. A Model for Arts-Driven, Partnership-Based Research Following the festival, Glendinning continued planning with Prof. Mokomane during her September visit to Michigan State University, which was also supported by the GEF. Together, they are refining the concept for the multi-country expansion and identifying ways for AAP partners to contribute to the next phase. For AAP, Glendinning’s and project and his partnership with Mokomane exemplify the role arts and culture can play in addressing societal challenges: by elevating local narratives, strengthening community connections, and deepening understanding across diverse contexts. The Global Engagement Fund is central to this impact—making it possible for faculty like Glendinning to build the relationships and shared vision that long-term, equitable partnerships require. As plans move forward, Attached to the Soil will offer youth across the continent the chance to tell their stories—and help researchers, educators, and communities better understand the world through their eyes.

By: Baboki Gaolaolwe-Major

Monday, Dec 15, 2025

CULTURE AND SOCIETY

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African Futures Cohort 5 Arrives at MSU

Alliance for African Partnership (AAP), a consortium of ten leading African universities, Michigan State University (MSU), and a network of African research institutes, is excited to welcome the fifth cohort of the African Futures Research Leadership Program to MSU for the in-person portion of the program. Each early career scholar is paired with a faculty mentor from MSU and their home institution for one year of virtual and in-person collaboration to strengthen research skills, innovations in teaching, writing of scholarly and/or policy publications, dissemination of research results and grant proposals.  A consortium-wide initiative, the African Futures program is designed to strengthen the capacity of a cadre of African researchers to return to their home institutions and become scientific leaders in their community, establish long-term partnerships with MSU faculty, co-create innovative solutions to Africa’s challenges, and in turn become trainers of the next generation of researchers. African Futures Cohort 5: Alfdaniels Mabingo Performing Arts and Film Makerere University Home Mentor - Sylvia Antonia Nakimera Nannyonga-Tamusuza, Dept of Performing Arts and FilmMSU Mentor – Philip Effiong, Dept of English, Theater Studies & Humanities & Gianina Strother, Dept of African American and African Studies Gladys Gakenia Njoroge Pharmacy Practice and Public Health United States International University – Africa Home Mentor - Calvin A. Omolo, Dept of Pharmacy Practice and Public HealthMSU Mentor - Yuehua Cui, Dept of Statistics and Probability Seynabou Sene Plant Biology University Cheikh Anna Diop Home Mentor - Abdala Gamby Diedhiou, Dept of Plan BiologyMSU Mentor - Lisa Tiemann, Dept of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences Portia T. Loeto Educational Foundations (Gender Studies Section) University of Botswana Home Mentor - Godi Mookode, Dept of SociologyMSU Mentor - Soma Chauduri, Dept of Sociology Betina Lukwambe Aquaculture Technology University of Dar es Salaam Home Mentor – Samwel Mchele Limbu, Dept of AquacultureMSU Mentor - Abigail Bennett, Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife & Maria Claudia Lopez, Dept of Community Sustainability Assilah Agigi Business Management University of PretoriaHome Mentor - Alex Antonites, Dept of Business Management MSU Mentor - Sriram Narayanan, Dept of Supply Chain Management Miriam Nthenya Kyule Agricultural Education and Extension Egerton University Home Mentor - Miriam Karwitha Charimbu, Dept of Crops, Horticulture and Soils MSU Mentor - Susan Wyche, Dept of Media and Information Studies Asha Nalunga Agribusiness and Natural Resource Economics Makerere University Home Mentor - Bernard Bashaasha, Dept of Agribusiness and Natural Resource Economics MSU Mentor - Saweda Liverpool-Tasie, Dept of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics Ezinne Ezepue (participating virtually)Theatre & Film Studies University of Nigeria, Nsukka Home Mentor - Chinenye Amonyeze, Dept of Theatre & Film StudiesMSU Mentor - Jeff Wray, Dept of English “We were extremely impressed with the quality and diversity of applications we received for this cohort of the African Futures program. We are excited to build on the successes of past cohorts and continue to evolve this program as we support the next generation of African research leaders,” said Jose Jackson-Malete, co-director of the Alliance for African Partnership. Differing from previous cohorts, Cohort 5 is piloting a hybrid model of the African Futures program. The scholars began their work in February 2025 virtually, then will spend the fall semester at Michigan State University working closely with their MSU mentor. They will then complete the rest of their year back at their home institution, culminating in a research showcase in February 2026 to share the research they’ve done. Partnerships between mentors and mentees are expected to continue beyond the end of the program and lead to sustainable collaboration and future funding opportunities. For more information, visit the Alliance for African Partnership website

By: Justin Rabineau

Thursday, Sep 4, 2025

AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS

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AAP announces 8 new PIRA partnership awards

Multidimensional impact of environmental change in the African Great Lakes

Recorded on March 24th, 2023 as part of AAP Public Dialogue Series

By: Justin Rabineau

Monday, Jan 27, 2025

WATER, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT

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Water, Energy, And The Environment