Wetlands provide goods and services like water and fish as well as water purification and flood mitigation. However, they are used unsustainably leading to degradation. The search for fertile soils and water for animals and agricultural use, as well as papyrus for commercial purposes has heightened degradation. According to a study conducted by researchers from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Makerere University and Michigan State University, food and economic security are the main drivers of encroachment and the main activities carried out within the wetland are farming (40%), vegetation harvesting (25%) and fishing (24%).  Although a number of interventions have been made to protect wetlands, encroachment persists. To minimize the challenge, it is important for all stakeholders to understand the structure of the wetland system and its linkage with livelihood activities.

Through a project titled, “Participatory Modelling for Livelihood Security and Ecological Integrity in a Ugandan Wetland-Agricultural System”, the researchers led by Dr Ellen Kayendeke from the Department of Environmental Management, CAES, and Prof. Laura Schmitt Olabisi from Michigan State University conducted a survey among wetland users on the drivers of wetland degradation and how this impacts ecosystem services.  The overall objectives of the project were; i) to generate information about the causal links and feedback mechanisms between wetland management and livelihood activities, and ii) to create an improved and shared understanding of the wetland-agricultural system structure among the stakeholders. Other members on the project included Prof. Frank Kansiime from the Department of Environmental Management; and Prof. David Mfitumukiza from the Department of Geography, Geo-informatics and Climatic Sciences, CAES, Makerere University.

According to the research findings, wetland degradation impacts long-term agricultural productivity, which then perpetuates a cycle of food insecurity and poverty. The short term effects of encroachment include reduction in wetland flora and fauna, and reduced ability to supplement food needs. The long term effects include reduction in soil fertility and low yields.

Disseminating their findings to stakeholders on 24^th August 2022, the researchers noted that wetland users are aware of the impact of degradation on ecosystem services, but continue to encroach on wetlands. The encroachers claim they cannot vacate the wetlands because of a lack of alternative livelihoods. The researchers advise that efforts to regulate wetland use and educate stakeholders on wise use of wetlands should be complemented with support of alternative livelihoods.

Using a system dynamics approach, the researchers generated visual representations (Causal Loop Diagrams) to illustrate the structure and feedback loops of the wetland-agricultural system in Uganda, with a case study of Naigombwa wetland in Iganga District. According to Prof. Laura Schmitt Olabisi, System Thinking is key when dealing with environmental management given the interconnection between different actors.  

During the research dissemination workshop held at Fairway Hotel in Kampala, the project team sensitized participants on System Dynamics (SD) and Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) methodology and its application to natural resources management. The workshop also served as a platform to validate the CLD of Iganga wetland-agricultural system, and to discuss potential policy measures for effective wetland management.

The meeting was attended by the Commissioners, Wetlands Management and Capacity development at the Ministry of Water and Environment; as well as representatives from the National Environment Management Authority; Iganga District Local government; CAES; Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF); Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (SIENR), Uganda National Association of Community and Occupational Health (UNACOH), GIZ, the media, and a representative of rice farmers in Iganga District.

The workshop was graced by the Deputy Principal of CAES, Prof. Yazidhi Bamutaze, and the Head, Department of Environmental Management at CAES, Prof. Justine Namaalwa.

Inadequate curricula to stimulate innovativeness and entrepreneurship within learners and faculty and limited partnerships and collaborations are some of the major bottlenecks to innovativeness at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Makerere University.  The current programme design, sequencing and delivery inhibits critical thinking and innovation as it focuses more on theory than practice. Reviewing curricula to make it more learner-centered and entrepreneurial, reducing theory and creating more time for practical sessions can enhance the innovation culture at CAES.

Through the Innovation Scholars Programme, CAES and Michigan State University’s Borlaug Higher Education for Agricultural Research and Development (BHEARD) Program with the support of the MSU’s Global Centre for Food Systems Innovation (GCFSI) are working together to advance the College toward its strategic vision – “to be a leading institution of academic excellence and innovations in Africa.” The CAES Innovation Scholars Programme (CAESISP) offers an eighteen-month opportunity during which CAES academic staff work as interdisciplinary teams to solve problems in the food systems in Africa, while at the same time offering support to the entire CAES academic fraternity in the areas of design thinking, teaching and learning, community outreach, and communicating science.The CAESISP serves as a catalyst to support food system innovations that improve food security, and develop the current and next generation of entrepreneurial scientists at Makerere University and in the region. The programme is modelled after a successful, field-tested faculty development programme implemented at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) and the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) —yet tailored for innovation and contextual challenges at Makerere University. The core values of the CAESISP include: participatory, asset-based, learner-centered, contextualized, and evaluative.

Under the programme, a number of academic staff at CAES have been coached to enhance their innovativeness to provide practical solutions to challenges affecting the agricultural sector. The researchers have also been equipped with various skills to deliver curricula that is practical-oriented and fosters critical thinking as well as entrepreneurship. At Makerere University, the Programme is headed by the Principal of CAES, Prof. Gorettie N. Nabanoga, and coordinated by Prof. Jackie Bonabana – Wabbi from the Department of Agribusiness and Natural Resource Economics (DANRE), CAES. The Michigan State University Coordinator is Dr John Bonnell, BHEARD Director.

In the second week of August 2022, the College held a two-day workshop under the theme – “University Responsiveness to Innovation” to showcase some of the innovations that have resulted from the programme. The event held at Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility from 10^th-11^th August 2022 was graced by the Deputy USAID Mission Director in Uganda, Daniele Nyirandutiye and the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University represented by the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe. Innovations showcased included the Kebera Organic App intended to detect contaminants in crops before they are put on market. The researchers also developed a tailor-made pasteurizer and fruit pulper for the Medium, Small & Micro Enterprises in the Food Processing Industry; and a Guide for Learner-Centered Processes at the Department of Environmental Management –CAES. They also developed two different audio-visual instruction materials for instructors and students to enhance e-learning at Makerere University; engaged various stakeholders to address challenges of poor seed quality in the horticulture industry; benchmarked approaches for improved delivery of Hands-on Practical Experiences for Business Management Courses at CAES, Makerere University; deployed a problem solving-centered teaching and learning approach using the Teach-Think-Pair-Share model for increased skilling among Agricultural students; and  programmed a software platform with a matching algorithm to cross-reference student abilities with company profiles.

Research projects and innovations showcased

1. Breaking barriers to global organic market access through research and innovations at Makerere University

Organic Agriculture (OA) is a rapidly growing sector due to health concerns by consumers. Globally, Uganda is only second to India in terms of the number of organic producers (210,000 VS 1,366,000). Uganda was the first African country to develop a National Organic Agriculture policy-supporting environment in 2019. Despite an annual global organic market worth $100 billion USD, annual organic exports from Uganda only account for $50 million USD of the totaI. Limited knowledge and high transaction costs in OA are some of the major bottlenecks to market access. Agricultural products from Uganda are usually rejected in international markets due to standard challenges. 45% of organic products in Uganda are reportedly contaminated and this poses a danger to health. To minimize the challenge, researchers led by Prof. Fred Kabi from the Department of Agricultural Production, CAES developed an App that detects pesticides and aflatoxins in organic foods. The  Kebera Organic App was designed by a group of researchers from CAES, the College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS) and the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) namely; by Mr. Ramadhan Nkuutu, Mr. Ambrose Kamya, Ms. Fatuma Nabatanzi, Dr. Daniel Basalirwa, Mr. Ronald Walumbusi and Mr. Brian Ogenrwoth. The App has been validated against globally recognised tools and proved suitable for field use and complies with the Food Safety Standards set by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).

2. Developing Innovative Technology for the Medium, Small & Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Food Processing Industry

A team of researchers led by Dr Julia Kigozi and coached by Dr Amy Jamison investigated the challenges faced by MSMEs Agro Processors in accessing pulping and pasteurizing equipment and discovered that many processors had limited access to the equipment due to the costs involved. To minimize the challenge, and increase access to the equipment, the team developed a tailor-made Pasteurizer and Fruit Pulper adapted according to end-user operational capacity, financial resources and available energy source, and composed manuals on the use and maintenance of the equipment. They also developed capacity among the agro-processors to design, simulate, fabricate and test the equipment. Other members on the project included; Mr. Moses Kalyango, Mr. Emmanuel Baidhe, and Mr. Isaac Oluk.

3. Learner-Centered Training in Environmental Science & Management

Strategic Goal No.2 of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2020-2030 commits to Innovations in Teaching and Learning. The system has mainly been teacher-centred as opposed to learner-centred undermining practical training, critical thinking and innovativeness. Under the project, Prof. Justine Namaalwa and other team members namely: Prof. Anthony Egeru, Dr. Patrick Byakagaba, Dr. Kenneth Balikoowa, Dr. Ellen Kayendeke, Dr. Fred Yikii and Mr. Antonny Tugaineyo developed a Guide for Learner-Centered Processes at the Department of Environmental Management to support practical training and enhance innovativeness. The team worked in collaboration with Dr. Betty Ezati from the College of Education and External Studies, Makerere University; Dr. Jerome Lugumira from NEMA; Dr. Simon Nampindo from WCS; and Ms. Emily Namanya from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).

4. Capacity Enhancement for E-learning at Makerere University

Much as Makerere University E-Learning Environment (MUELE), is a common platform used for E-learning at Makerere University, both students and instructors lack the necessary skills to use the platform for learning and teaching because they have not been adequately trained. To enhance capacity for e-learning at the University, researchers led by Prof. Nelson Turyahabwe and coached by Dr. T.R. Silberg developed prototypes of audio-visual instructional materials to train instructors and students on how to access and navigate the MUELE platform for interactive teaching and learning. Other members on the team included Dr. G. Karubanga, Dr.  H. Nabushawo, Ms. R. Mukebezi, Mr. I. Mugabiirwe.

5. Engaging Stakeholders and Policy to Address Challenges in Seed Quality in the Horticulture Industry of Uganda: A Case of Tomato and Pepper

The Horticulture sector relies heavily on seed from the informal sector that is often of low quality and spreads disease. 40% of seed on market is counterfeit.The National Seed Policy (2018) that would contribute to addressing the challenge is not fully operational. There is also inadequate human capacity to conduct snowball efforts for improving seed quality in the horticulture industry. In a bid to increase access to quality seed in the Horticulture Industry in Uganda, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Makerere University through the Innovation Scholars Program (ISP) has engaged different stakeholders in the country to address the challenges in seed quality. Through a project titled, “Engaging Stakeholders and Policy to Address Challenges in Seed Quality in the Horticulture Industry of Uganda: A Case of Tomato and Pepper”, researchers led by Dr. Jeninah Karungi-Tumutegyereize, an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Production at CAES, Makerere University seek to enhance the quantity and quality of horticultural crops produce, and to strategically position CAES in agricultural development in the country.  Other members on the project are; Prof. Samuel Kyamanywa, and Dr. Mildred Ochwo Ssemakula from the Department of Agricultural Production, Makerere University; Dr. Gabriel Ddamulira (Head, Horticulture Programme, National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI); Mr. Moses Erongu from the Department of Crop Inspection and Certification at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries; and Mr. Daniel Kituzi, a farmer and entrepreneur. Team coach was Prof. Andrew Safalaoh. Ideas put forward by stakeholders were compiled and synthesized.A policy brief has been developed as a key output.

6. Benchmarking Approaches for Improved Delivery of Hands-on Practical Experiences for Business Management Courses at CAES, Makerere University

A team of researchers led by Dr. Alice Turinawe and coached by Dr. Sera Gondwe conducted investigations on topics that can be focused on to improve the delivery of more practical-oriented teaching. The team interviewed students, graduates and their employees to determine key topics that require more hands-on training. The team identified insufficient hands-on and practical exposure for entrepreneurship and marketing students, as well as limited experience and interaction with the world outside the study environment as some of the challenges undermining the performance of graduates. The team also established that potential employers and business partners expect soft skills from students.In a bid to produce better-equipped graduates, ready for life after school, the team strongly advocates for practical, hands-on skilling, as well as stronger connections between the university, private and public sectors.Other members of the team included Dr. Stephen Lwasa, Dr. Paul Aseete, Dr. Peter Walekhwa & Ms. Ahikiriza Elizabet.

7. Deployment of a problem solving-centered teaching and learning approach using the Teach-Think-Pair-Share model for increased skilling among Agricultural students

Student lack full exposure to field problems for innovative learning and entrepreneurship. There is lack of a robust teaching and learning model that responds to the changing global needs in terms of innovativeness for entrepreneurship among students. Change in the style of delivery of lectures with inclusion of the Teach, Think, Pair, Share Model in new course descriptions is a possible solution for enhancing skills amongst students. The students are keen to learn with the model but they emphasize field practicals with progressive agribusiness entrepreneurship. Researchers including Dr Patrick Musinguzi (Team Leader), Dr Twaha A. Basamba, and Dr Emmanuel Opolot call for the novel Teach-Think-Pair-Share model of teaching and learning to be incorporated in the curriculum review process for agricultural based programmes. Funding to test the model with field-based practical support for students is critical to understand the novel teaching and learning approach.

8. Strengthening The Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering’s Industrial Training to Improve Students’ Innovativeness and Entrepreneurial Ability

Industries where students intern complain that they gain no tangible benefits from industrial training programmes. The students also complain that they are not motivated to be creative since they are forced to train in industries that do not match their strengths and/or interests.A solution that curates data on students’ strengths, abilities, interests and preferences and then proposing matching organizations ideal for their internship training comes in handy.Proper matching of students to industries increases their innovativeness.To match students’ desires with industry needs, researchers led by Dr Allan John Komakech and coached by Dr N. Peter Reeves developed a software platform programmed with a matching algorithm to cross-reference student abilities with company profiles. The platform will be tested with students and industries relevant to DABE and scaled to CAES.

Remarks by the representative USAID

In her remarks, the Deputy Director USAID Mission in Uganda, Daniele Nyirandutiye commended the incredible innovations resulting from the CAESISP noting that they will play an essential role in addressing current and future food security challenges, and serve as a catalyst to spur more critical research and innovations at the University. “The CAESISP has greatly supported staff and students define better career paths and has strengthened the innovation culture at CAES,” she noted.Appreciating Michigan State University’s Borlaug Higher Education for Agricultural Research and Development (BHEARD) for supporting quality research, collaboration, outreach and capacity building in Uganda, she said the skills acquired by the scholars would greatly enhance the University’s capacity to influence policy. “Uganda’s ability to deal with food insecurity rests in our ability to drive innovations and adopt new technologies. Academic institutions play an essential role in the global agriculture market space. Collectively we can use our mind power to solve challenges of global food insecurity,” she said, calling upon all stakeholders to expand, sustain and nurture the programme beyond its life.

Remarks by the DVC/FA

On behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Makerere University, the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe appreciated USAID for tirelessly supporting Makerere University’s efforts towards becoming a research-led University.  Over the years, USAID has partnered with and supported various programmes at Makerere. Specific to CAES, USAID through BHEARD supported 5 PhDs and 2 MA students between 2012-2016 to study in Universities in the US. The students participated in top level programmes focusing on Agriculture and nutrition. Between 2015-2019, USAID supported the development of a regional PhD in Agriculture and Applied Economics at the Department of Agribusiness and Natural Resource Economics, CAES. They also supported training of three PhD students in Agricultural Research and Policy Analysis. Emphasizing the central role of CAES in transforming the agricultural sector in the country and highlighting challenges posed by the growing population, Prof. Alinaitwe implored academics at the College to continue venturing into innovations that can address problems of food insecurity.

Remarks by the Principal, CAES

Addressing participants, the Principal of CAES, Prof. Gorettie Nabanoga said the College was moving towards more experiential learning & practical orientation of students. “In a bid to produce marketable graduates, we need to re-orient the mind-sets of our students to become critical thinkers & innovative,” she noted, appreciating the support rendered by USAID through the Innovation Scholars Programme that has enabled the College to make great strides in the Innovations journey. The Principal informed participants that as part of its strategic goals, the College was targeting to establish an innovations hub specific for agricultural and environmental innovations. She expressed gratitude to the Government of Uganda for the unwavering support towards research and innovations at the University, appealing for funding specifically ring-fenced for agricultural and environmental innovations at CAES. “We committee to remain innovation intentional as we leverage the 100 years of excellence at Makerere University”.

Panel discussion on nurturing innovative mind-sets

Sharing ideas on how to nurture innovative mind-sets, a panel of experts including Mr Apollo Segawa, Executive Director, CURAD Uganda; Mr. Benjamin Gyan-Kesse, Executive Director, Kosmos Innovation Centre – Ghana; Ms Freda Yawson, Entrepreneur and Senior Manager for Infrastructure and Innovation at the Africa Centre for Innovation in Ghana emphasized the need to be intentional about nurturing business mind-sets amongst students. “Every course should have an entrepreneurship unit. There is need to give more time to special projects,” they advised.They also emphasized the need to be intentional about developing a strong media policy on innovations, and  to create models of intellectual property in context with the African Continent, as a way of promoting local content.

The event was moderated by Dr Patrick Byakagaba, a Lecturer at CAES.

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University led by the Deputy Principal, Prof. Yazidhi Bamutaze, organized and hosted the 2022 Landscape Ecology Summer School, held from 21^st to 22^nd July, 2022. The summer school was attended by participants from twenty (20) countries including: Uganda, Kenya, Congo – Kinshasa, Ghana, Nigeria, Germany, the US, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Benin, Rwanda etc. The summer school was very intensive with a series of activities including several presentations, visits to three (03) informal settlements in Kampala including Kisenyi, Bwaise and Acholi Quarters. In Jinja, participants visited two (02) informal settlements including Kibuga – Mbaata, Rippon and the source of the Nile. Participants were hosted to a dinner in Jinja and cultural night at the Ndere Cultural Centre in Kampala. The school started with a theoretical and conceptual overview of urban ecologies of Kampala and Jinja cities at Makerere University. This was followed by a tour of Kampala city and the above selected informal settlements to gain valuable insights into their complex urban ecologies. During the visits, participants had the opportunity to engage with community leaders from the informal settlements as a way of gaining a deeper understanding into the motivations and logics behind the visions of communities living in unequal and precarious environments.

Under the theme “Cities and Urban Ecological Resilience”, the focus of the school was to “Understand Landscapes, Issues and Co-creation of Knowledge and Solutions” at relevant scales as well as addressing sustainability issues. The objectives of the summer School included:

• Provide insights in recent conceptual, theoretical and technological developments in landscape ecology that enhance the UN Global Development Agenda 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063.
• Build a network of knowledgeable, skilled and competent multidisciplinary scientists with competencies to resolve complex issues.
• Facilitate deepening of beneficial science-practice-policy interfaces along ecological sustainability and livelihood thrivability in the midst of increasing stressor.
• Increase north-south and south-south networking, collaboration and partnership for increased knowledge creation and scholarship.

The landscape ecology network was initiated mainly to address contemporary issues that will lead to the actualization of agenda 2030 and more specifically, SDGs 1 (No poverty), 10 (Reduced inequality), 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), 13 (Climate Action) and their related targets. It is envisioned that the network will play an important role to improve public portfolios, skills and scholarships among African scholars as well as increase collaborations and networking. The network is expected to enable more contributions to publications, increased scholarship from African scholars and greater collaboration/networking. The network is headed by three principle investigators including: Prof. Yazidhi Bamutaze (Makerere University), Prof. Henry Bulley (City University of New York) and Prof. Catherine Furst (Martin-Luther-Universitat Halle-Wittenberg).

In his opening remarks, Prof. Yazidhi Bamutaze, Deputy Principal, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, pointed out that Makerere University remains one of the top universities in Africa. The university was in the midst of commemorating 100 years since its inception. The summer school was therefore an important element within the broader contribution of the university as a knowledge generation and research institution not only for Uganda but Africa as a whole. According to Prof. Bamutaze, the network has already undertaken two (2) summer schools in Kampala, with the first one being held in 2021, the second one in 2022. The next summer school is scheduled to be shared between Kampala and Nairobi in 2023.

Following Prof. Bamutaze’s opening, Prof. Henry Bulley remarked that,

“If we are to go beyond resilience, we have to bring back nature. Therefore a lot has to be done collectively in order to address issues of climate change. For a city to develop we need to critique ideas, however our criticisms should be directed towards the methods or ideas not the human being…”

Furthermore, Prof. Bulley applauded donor support for the network activities.

“We appreciate the money coming in from both donor foundations which has enabled us have the summer school this year (2022). If this is going to translate into anything, we need collaborations because if we start and improve partnerships we can change things for our communities. Everybody is now thinking about Agenda 2063 on ‘The Africa We Want’, with the majority of Africa becoming gradually urbanized. We want an organized urban Africa though the question is: how do we work towards this? “

According to him,

“…we need to showcase how we are doing things, what is there in terms of resources to achieve the Africa we want, copying from other African countries and the drivers of change (Sustainable Development Goals) to improve resilience for sustainability…”

Issues arising from the summer school

• Inadequate physical planners for Africa as well as the need for mind transformation amongst the current group of planning professionals,
• Initiatives geared towards addressing slum issues are lacking in some countries such as Congo – Kinshasa where resource extraction has eclipsed issues such as urban development,
• There is need to balance diverse views and identities while generating useful knowledge within the current networks of professionals and academia across Africa,
• Local experiences need to be translated into legitimate scholarly knowledge by engaging practitioners in documenting and publishing their experiences in journals, and other academic platforms,
• Kampala informal settlements have challenges including: developments pressures, multi-land tenure system, urban sprawl,
• Ghana’s urban planning system just like Uganda has serious challenges including institutional governance and implementation.

Recommendations for Improvement

• There is need to reconcile donor demands with the practicalities of the summer school e.g. sending emails to undertake accountability is inappropriate and hence needs to be resolved urgently to improve the management of the whole process,
• Networking is very key and according to Prof. Henry Bulley,

“You are not here to learn the basics of science. The key reason you are here is to network and collaborate. Social events allow us to see the humanity in ourselves, you may not know the person who will administer your grant. With all the degrees, if we don’t network we are joking”,

• There is need for Africa’s cities to build their capacities to induce economic growth and foster transformative cultural change,
• There is need to integrate environment issues e.g. urban greening and beautification, climate change in all development plans by local city governments,
• Priority should be given to ALL forms of knowledge NOT academic knowledge only,
• Complex academic concepts should be translated into relatable and practical narratives for local communities for greater impact,
• Consideration should be accorded for the development of collectively agreed protocols for knowledge exchange and use,
• There is need to increase the number of days a summer school takes per year. Although this can also be achieved through having more webinars or virtual – based activities,
• Refresher training courses for follow-up on previous summer schools for continuity are critical hence the need to be integrated in the future network plans,
• Physical planning is a critical component for addressing the challenges faced by informal settlements across urban Africa,
• Increase student involvement in knowledge creation processes as a key resource for more impactful planning policy,
• Documentation of the network activities so that future schools can build on the previous summer schools.
• Adequate policy and proper stakeholder engagement in policy-making, accessibility to funding and proper information and capacity enhancement for more resilient cities,
• The need for infrastructure that is sensitive to various kinds of people in Africa’s cities,
• Inter – disciplinarity is a core element of planning for more resilient African cities,
• There is need to alternate summer school venues across the continent for a more diverse experience for participants,
• People have to be engaged in planning since they are at the center of all the decisions being made by development professionals.

Kasemiire Mariam is the Web Administrator, CAES & School of Law

View on CAES