OR/17/063 Conclusions

Gill, J C, and Mankelow, J. 2017. Workshop report: earth and environmental science for sustainable development (Dar es Salaam, September 2017). British Geological Survey Internal Report, OR/17/063.

Summary

Through this workshop, and subsequent analysis, we have undertaken, understood and demonstrated the following:

• Section 2. Characterised the organisations involved in this workshop, identifying key stakeholders from academia, government, and the private sector. The workshop adopted a bottom-up approach, with those attending demonstrating a high level of enthusiasm, engaging positively, with a willingness to share their expertise and experiences. Participants developed and enhanced their own networks, with the potential for future collaborative activities.
• Section 3. Explored development priorities in eastern Africa and Tanzania, and the role of Earth and environmental science in addressing these, identifying quality education, life on land, access to clean water and sanitation, ensuring food security, and improving industry, innovation and infrastructure as recurring priorities. This report allows all workshop participants (including the BGS) to understand development priorities in eastern Africa and Tanzania, using the SDGs as a reference tool. The approaches used to understand these priorities demonstrated an interactive pedagogy, and raised awareness of the SDGs as a global development strategy.
• Section 4. Summarised the discussions of three working groups, exploring potential ideas relating to sustainable land and water management, water and sanitation, and climate-smart agriculture, food security and nutrition. From these groups we identified thematic projects that could support sustainable development in a Tanzanian context (with applications to the wider region). For example, emerging from the sustainable land and water management thematic group (Sustainable land and water management) was a set of research, capacity building and innovation ideas aiming to reduce land degradation. Examples include, enhanced use of citizen science for data capture and community education, research into alternative energy potential in Tanzania, and improved mineral extraction through enhanced engagement with artisanal and small-scale miners. At the end of Section 4 we also highlight some crosscutting project priorities (e.g., enhanced data management). The approaches used to develop projects demonstrated an interactive pedagogy, and raised awareness of a theory of change process by which projects can be determined.
• Section 5. Documented the characteristics that workshop participants considered to be of greatest importance in science-for-development partnerships, identifying those characteristics associated with equality, resourcing partners and the process by which partners work together as being of importance. Being treated as an equal by other members of the partnership, respectful dialogue between members of the partnership, and access to training and capacity building were the three highest ranked characteristics. All of the activities identified in Thematic working groups will require multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary partnerships.

In the following section, we outline the next steps, to be explored with project partners, which will advance these ideas.

Next steps

This workshop report discusses development challenges in eastern Africa (particularly Tanzania), and presents several ideas where Earth and environmental science will support sustainable development. We will send this report to all workshop participants, and encourage their active engagement in reflecting on the conclusions and refining the proposed next steps. Through externally funded activities, BGS staff are actively engaged in work in Tanzania. We will proactively continue discussions with many of those who were present at the workshop, and discuss the following actions to advance and enhance the outputs from this workshop:

• Co-produce project proposals (aims, objectives, background context, pathways to development impact) for ideas generated in this workshop. Workshop participants identified a set of potential projects that could be developed through (for example) BGS ODA or GCRF funding. For example, the water and sanitation group identified activities that could help to optimise wastewater treatment and reuse. Through meetings with stakeholders in Tanzania, we will co-produce with in-country colleagues outline proposals for these projects in preparation for relevant funding opportunities.
• Bring in stakeholders from additional disciplines. While the workshop attracted 12 organisations, key groups were missing, particularly those from national ministries (e.g., water, land, geological survey). Many of the pathways to development impact identified in previous sections will need engagement and input from ministry level officials. We will pro-actively work to build relationships with appropriate ministries, map out stakeholders, and ensure enhanced engagement at future workshops.
• Connect stakeholders in Tanzania with BGS (and external) expertise relevant to emerging projects. Having identified relevant expertise and research/project interests in Tanzania, we will use the extensive BGS network of researcher links from across eastern Africa and the UK to catalyse new interactions.
• Explore eastern African priorities by contrasting this workshop with the results of workshops in Kenya and Zambia. Having coordinated three workshops in eastern Africa (Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia), we will proceed to contrast the results of these. We will write and publish a peer-reviewed paper that examines similarities and differences between development priorities across the region, and discuss emerging themes of common interest.
• Improve our understanding of effective international partnerships to support science-for-development. During this workshop, we collected data to understand partnership priorities in a Tanzanian context. We will supplement this data with semi-structured interviews, and aim to publish a peer-reviewed journal article on science-for-development partnerships.