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"Mdee, Anna"
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Politics in Africa : a new introduction
Democracy, prosperity and self-rule, this was the vision of African independence. How did things go so wrong? Why has the continent lagged behind others in economic development despite its potential natural resources? Why are so many African states prone to conflict? This book looks at the answers to these questions.
Book
Disaggregating orders of water scarcity- The politics of nexus in the Wami-Ruvu River Basin, Tanzania
This article considers the dilemma of managing competing uses of surface water in ways that respond to social, ecological and economic needs. Current approaches to managing competing water use, such as Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and the concept of the water-energy-food nexus do not adequately disaggregate the political nature of water allocations. This is analysed using Mehta's (2014) framework on orders of scarcity to disaggregate narratives of water scarcity in two ethnographic case studies in the Wami-Ruvu River Basin in Tanzania: one of a mountain river that provides water to urban Morogoro, and another of a large donor-supported irrigation scheme on the Wami River. These case studies allow us to explore different interfaces in the food-water-energy nexus. The article makes two points: that disaggregating water scarcity is essential for analysing the nexus; and that current institutional frameworks (such as IWRM) mask the political nature of the nexus, and therefore do not provide an adequate platform for adjudicating the interfaces of competing water use.
Journal Article
The Great Stink in the 21st century? Problematizing the sewage scandal in England and envisioning a new infrastructure ideal
The Great Stink of 1858 saw politicians in the Houses of Parliament commission a new sewer system for London at an unprecedented scale and cost. Political consensus was driven by the stench emanating from the river Thames, filled with faeces. Today, England is experiencing parallels to the first Great Stink, with untreated sewage discharging into the country’s watercourses for a total duration of 3.6 million hours in 2024. The scale of sewer discharges has heightened tensions between the public and the water industry, with activists leading civic action that includes social media campaigns, bill boycotts, and street protests. We carried out an ethnographic study in the Yorkshire region with the aim of analyzing and exploring emerging tensions between stakeholders. We found that the root causes of the sewage problem were deeply contested, creating an uneven foundation for sanitary reform. Stakeholder groups understood the sewage crisis differently and were often found to be calling for competing solutions. To theorize these divergent problematizations, we draw from sanitation imaginaries literature that considers collective assumptions about waste infrastructures. Sanitary developments in England have long aspired to the modern sanitation ideal, seeking to discretely remove household waste waters, transporting and treating elsewhere, eliminating public health risk alongside minimal environmental impact. The contemporary sanitation crisis, or “Great Stink of the 21st century,” has shattered this modern infrastructure ideal and social imaginary, causing rifts between stakeholders about how and what progress can be made. Overall, historical parallels serve to remind that political consensus and a shared vision among stakeholders are necessary conditions for sanitary revolution in England.
Journal Article
Business-as-usual and fantasy planning – an analysis of equity within climate adaptation planning for sanitation in Nairobi
This paper explores the disconnect between policy rhetoric and implementation at the intersection of sanitation equity and climate change in Nairobi, Kenya. To examine the current sanitation adaptation trajectory, we reviewed Nairobi’s sanitation policies, planning, and investment frameworks, focusing on their integration with climate adaptation strategies and consideration of equity in terms of distribution, recognition and processes. We used a socio-technical regime framework to map the current sanitation service configurations in Nairobi and projected their future under different climate change scenarios. Our findings provide evidence for a disconnection between policy rhetoric and implementation, prioritising sewerage development at the expense of other sanitation regimes. Despite recognising equity issues in policy, substantive action towards equitable sanitation governance is lacking. This imbalance hinders the realisation of the constitutionally recognised right to adequate sanitation in the foreseeable future. The anticipated impact of climate change on Nairobi’s sanitation sector suggests an exacerbation of existing service inequalities. Our projection indicates that by 2030, a sizeable portion of Nairobi’s residents will experience poor sanitation services. Our study emphasizes the critical need for a fundamental paradigm shift. It calls for a robust and honest discussion on delivering high-quality, resilient sanitation services at scale including both sewer and non-sewered sanitation and necessitating substantial public investment and support for all systems. This reappraisal is imperative for ensuring equitable and sustainable sanitation solutions in the face of climate change.
Journal Article
The condition and purpose of universities in Africa
In his latest article, ‘African universities and the challenge of postcolonial development’, Jeremiah O. Arowosegbe argues convincingly that public universities in Africa are in crisis, and that this crisis reflects the failure of postcolonial states to build the societies promised by anti-colonial liberation. He is certainly correct that the political economy of higher education (HE) in postcolonial Africa is a much-neglected topic, and his article is even more welcome for that reason. As a scholar with an extensive career in Nigerian public universities, Arowosegbe has also undertaken research fellowships in Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa and the USA. Now he finds himself at the University of Leeds in the UK. He has experienced much from within and reflected deeply from afar on the state of universities in Nigeria and across the continent. His article is a serious work of reflection and scholarship, crafted and refined over years of engagement. Therefore, his serious charges on the state of the universities in Africa cannot be dismissed lightly.
Journal Article
Riverkin: Seizing the moment to remake vital relations in the United Kingdom and beyond
We show how the dire state of the Earth's rivers entangles intimately with ‘thingifying’ processes at the heart of colonial modernity. Known in many precolonial and Indigenous contexts as person‐like kin, we describe how rivers the world over have been re‐done primarily as thing—amoral, controllable, a potential commodity like anything else. We develop and work with a provisory concept of kin as those constituents of environments that reciprocally nurture, and contribute to the substance of, one another's life and wellbeing. We show how kinship with rivers figures centrally in primarily Indigenous‐led struggles in various regions of the globe for the recognition and enforcement of river personhood and rights. This is partly because people are motivated to fight passionately for their kin. With some careful caveats, we argue that associating river kinship exclusively with Indigenous worlds undermines its potential for global impact. Thus, as an apposite case study, the latter part of the paper focuses on some of the social–ecological trends which we suggest are opening up the possibility for the re‐establishment of ‘riverkinship’ in the United Kingdom. We reflect on the potential for riverkinship to help cultivate political constellations fitting to the challenges of the Anthropocene. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Journal Article
Realities of using self-administered smartphone surveys to solve sustainability challenges
To fill data gaps in human-environment systems, especially in difficult-to-access locations, novel tools are needed to collect (near) real-time data from diverse populations across the globe. Here we discuss the practicalities, constraints, and lessons learnt from six field studies using high spatial and temporal smartphone surveys in six different countries. We suggest that high spatiotemporal, self-administered smartphone surveys will produce novel insights into human behaviour, attitudes, and socio-economic characteristics that, when matched with high spatiotemporal resolution environmental data (e.g., from remote sensing), can be used to address sustainability challenges for global communities. Furthermore, we highlight the need for continuous refinement and improvement in future developments to enhance the efficacy of this methodology. By sharing the practical implications and constraints associated with smartphone surveys, this article contributes to the evolving landscape of data collection methods.
Journal Article
Does a Citizen Science Approach Enhance the Effectiveness of Flood Early Warning Systems? Evidence from the Akaki Catchment, Ethiopia
Flooding has emerged as a significant concern in the Akaki catchment area of Ethiopia, affecting settlements and properties. Early warning systems (EWSs) are implemented to reduce flood risks, but power dynamics among at-risk communities and stakeholders have raised concerns about the reliable accessibility of warning information. We integrated a citizen science approach into existing flood EWSs to promote inclusivity, local perspectives, and equitable expertise distribution in flood early warning. It draws on primary data collected through diverse methods, alongside an extensive review of documents from the years 2021 to 2022. The analysis of qualitative data indicates the integration of citizen science into a flood EWSs delivers dependable early warning information and encourages the establishment of networks. This approach reduces dependence on external entities, enhances local decision-making capabilities, and promotes a sense of ownership, empowerment, and trust. This can transform the dynamics and responsibilities linked to flood management. However, the longer-term participation of citizen scientists in flood EWSs is challenging due to the disparity between commitment levels and benefits, lack of legal frameworks, and insufficient recognition of community diversity within policy frameworks. The research herein emphasizes the significance of understanding power dynamics and institutional capacities in integrating citizen science into flood EWSs. It offers valuable perspectives for policymakers, practitioners, and communities on participatory governance, social equity, and the resilience of communities in the face of environmental challenges.
Journal Article
Entrepreneurs, investors and the state: the public and the private in sub-Saharan African irrigation development
This article draws on ethnographic research in Tanzania to interrogate the discourse of 'public' and 'private' in sub-Saharan irrigation development. It contrasts the complexity of social and political relations with narratives suggesting that 'private' is necessarily opposed and superior to 'public'. We argue that support for models of private-sector development obscures access to and control over resources and can result in the dispossession of those least able to resist this. Different interests of 'entrepreneurial' individuals and corporate investors and the ways in which these relate to the state are also glossed over. Conversely, the failure of the 'public' cannot simply be read from the chequered histories of irrigation schemes within which public and private interests intersect in complex ways.
Journal Article
The possibility of a theory of change to tackle the climate crisis in a UK university
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the practical dilemmas of institutional change to tackle the climate crisis in a UK university, identifying key assumptions and issues that block meaningful change. The research was part of an initiative to define a theory of change (ToC) to meet the university’s institutional climate commitments.
Design/methodology/approach
The findings are based on interviews with members of an inter-disciplinary ToC working group, a staff–student climate coalition and student representatives at the university. Interviewees were purposively selected to gain insights into assumptions about the nature of the university and its role in tackling the climate crisis, which must be addressed for the university to effectively implement its climate plan.
Findings
This paper identified tensions between the university’s role as a public and commercial institution, a lack of clarity over decision-making processes and the difficulties in balancing (and being transparent about) actions with commitments to tackle the climate crisis. A democratic and flexible approach to change is essential to mitigate these issues, providing an opportunity to reflect on the diversity of the university community and openly debate goals and commitments.
Originality/value
In setting out the initial steps of a ToC in a UK university, this paper offers practical insights for higher education institutions looking to change practices. By highlighting assumptions at a particular institution, this paper also contributes a level of granularity to a growing field of research on efforts in higher education institutions to tackle the climate crisis.
Journal Article