Towards Shared Research: Participatory and Integrative Approaches in Researching African Environments

Description

Intercultural, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research interfaces confront researchers with considerable challenges. Towards Shared Research portrays how scholars from different disciplinary and geographical origins and at various academic career stages strive for a more inclusive and better understanding of knowledge about African environments. The book is addressed to researchers, facilitators, and policy-makers to make a case for participatory and integrative approaches resulting in systemic and co-created analyses. Cover Contents Foreword Towards collaborative and integrative research in African environments 1.1. African environments in focus 1.2. Spiralling (mis)interpretations 1.3. Fragmented knowledge 1.4. Longitudinal knowledge guidance for researching African environments today 1.5. Towards shared research 1.6. Overview of contributions 1.7. References Soil classifications 2.1. Introduction 2.1.1. Ohangwena region and villages 2.1.2. Collecting local soil knowledge 2.1.3. Scientific soil description 2.1.4. The Oshikwanyama soil units 2.1.5. Local soil types compared to international classifications 2.1.6. Advantages of combining local and scientific knowledges 2.2. Issues regarding the participatory approach in natural sciences 2.2.1. Translations of the concept of “soil” 2.2.2. Intergrades 2.2.3. Local experts 2.2.4. Accuracy of descriptions 2.3. Participatory research in natural sciences: reflections and challenges 2.3.1. Expectations and managing data 2.3.2. Dealing with complexity 2.4. Conclusion and perspectives 2.5. References Action research and reverse thinking for anti‐desertification methods 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Desertification in the Sahel region 3.3. Approach and research area 3.4. Agriculture in long‐term dry season and short rainy season 3.4.1. Temperature, rainfall and wind 3.4.2. Agriculture 3.4.3. Soil properties and land degradation 3.5. Local countermeasures against land degradation 3.5.1. “Waste is manure for our farmland” 3.5.2. First trial of urban waste‐induced land restoration 3.5.3. Emerging pastureland 3.6. Eight effects of urban waste use for land restoration 3.6.1. Safety issues with urban waste 3.6.2. Collecting waste from the city administration to resolve the financial deficit problem 3.6.3. Inviting livestock into the fenced pastureland 3.7. Conflict prevention and livestock‐induced land restoration 3.8. Conclusion: urban waste, new institution and combating desertification 3.9. References Energy and the environment in Sub-Saharan Africa 4.1 Introduction 4.1.1. The evolution of improved cookstove initiatives 4.1.2. Recent initiatives promoting clean fuels and cookstoves 4.1.3. Neglect of end‐user preferences 4.1.4. Limitations of fuel and ICS monitoring 4.1.5. Research problem and contribution 4.2. Methodological approaches 4.2.1. Bake/cook‐off events 4.2.2. Field‐based research in Benue State 4.2.3. Field‐based methodologies 4.3. End‐user priorities for cooking systems: results from the bake/cook‐off events 4.4. Community‐level perspectives on cooking systems and fuel choices in Benue 4.4.1. Class and gender as influences on ICS and fuel use 4.4.2. Access to firewood 4.4.3. Smoke‐related concerns versus household budget constraints 4.4.4. Socio‐cultural factors influencing stove and fuel stacking 4.4.5. User preferences for rapid cooking 4.4.6. Seasonal shifts in stove and fuel use 4.5. Incorporating end‐user preferences into stove interventions and SDG7 monitoring frameworks 4.6. References Fishing for food and food for fish 5.1 Research context 5.1.1. The establishment of a transdisciplinary research project 5.1.2. Integrating practices of participatory research 5.1.3. Project results 5.1.4 Issues with the participatory approach 5.1.5. Fieldwork - practice and training 5.1.6. Involvement of policy makers - key questions of management 5.1.7. Synthesis of research results 5.1.8. SUSFISH’s participatory approach: lessons learned and problems 5.2. Key moments of participatory research 5.2.1 Scenario development workshops - key to understanding 5.2.2. The debate is open: translational practices to negotiate meaning 5.2.3. The debate on gender 5.3. Conclusion and main learnings 5.4. References Conclusion 6.1. Explorations 6.2. Learning as a multidimensional and multilevel process 6.3. Dimensions of participatory research 6.4. Role of language and translation in interdisciplinary and intercultural research settings 6.5. Turning points in collaborative research processes 6.6. Towards shared research 6.7. References Authors