Water and Agricultural Resources Management Books, Book Reviews and Book Chapters
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Item Sustainable Agroecological Practices in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Face of Climate Change(UoEm, 2024-11-11) Otieno, MarkThis book emphasizes the critical importance of agroecological practices as a response to the climate crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. It explores the intricate relationship between agriculture, ecosystems, and climate, advocating for the transformation of farming systems to ensure long-term sustainability. Through research, case studies, and practical examples, the book showcases the potential of agroecology in addressing the impacts of climate change. Sustainable practices such as biodiversity conservation, resource preservation, soil fertility enhancement, and greenhouse gas emission reduction are extensively discussed, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the topic. The book also highlights success stories from various countries in sub-Saharan Africa, aiming to inspire farmers, policymakers, and practitioners to adopt and sustain change. It acknowledges the vulnerabilities faced by smallholder farmers in the region and emphasizes the integration of traditional knowledge with scientific advancements. This integration is seen as essential in providing farmers with the necessary resources, information, and capacity-building opportunities to adapt to changing climatic conditions. The book emphasizes the need for collaboration and innovation among governments, research institutions, civil society organizations, and local communities to promote sustainable agricultural development. Ultimately, the book advocates for sustainable agroecological practices as a means to achieve food security, enhance ecosystem resilience, and foster rural development in sub-Saharan Africa. By adopting climate-friendly agricultural approaches and maintaining ecological balance, it envisions a future where communities thrive, ecosystems flourish, and the impacts of climate change are mitigated. The target audience for this book includes students, agroecology experts, farmers, policymakers, and agricultural practitioners who are interested in the subjectmatter.Item The Ark of Taste in Kenya(UoEm, 2024-10-17) Michele, F. Fontefrancesco; Mattia Zocchi, Dauro; Barstow, Charles; Kiiru, Samson; Natali, Roberto; Moraa Onyango, Cecilia; O. Ogendo, Joshua; G. Ontita, Edward; Otieno, Mark; Petrini, Carlo; K. Sitati, Gladys; M. Zocchi, Dauroam firmly convinced that our most urgent task is to protect biodiversity as the foundation of our food system. Many local crop varieties are dis- appearing and the widespread use of chemicals in agriculture threatens countless species with extinction. The global food system today is in a more precarious position than ever before due to the intertwined threats of food price inflation, food insecurity resulting from conflicts in many parts of the world, and climate change. These shocks and crises are major alarm bells that signal the fragility of our food systems, and there is no single action more pow- erful than making people aware of the importance of protecting food biodiver- sity. Without biodiversity, there is no foundation for human life on this planet. Biodiversity is the raw material that nourishes our civilizations and cultures and it is essential for human adaptation to Earth’s varied environments. Biodiversity is crucial for every country in the world and its value should never be underestimated. I believe it is especially important to keep this in mind when considering the African context. The people of Africa have long endured unjust seed policies, land grabbing, and the adverse effects of chemicals that are needed to sustain the daily expansion of monocultures. These practices are perpetuated with the promise of feeding the continent’s rapidly growing population; what they’re actually doing is making African food systems less resilient. Biodiversity in food and agriculture is declining, the climate crisis is intensifying, and diet-related diseases are reaching epidemic proportions. We urgently need to break away from imperialistic and extractive production sys- tems to slow down climate change and environmental degradation, and the only way to accomplish this is by preserving biodiversity. The Ark of Taste is the world’s largest living catalogue of biodiverse, delicious, and distinctive gastronomic heritage at risk of extinction. The Atlas you hold in your hands expands on the first edition of The Ark of Taste in Kenya, published in 2018. This new edition is a comprehensive tool for understanding Kenya’s tradi- tional foodscapes and it reiterates the central roles that institutions, producers, and consumers all play in preserving Kenya’s food cultures and biodiversity. I would like to draw your attention to one aspect of this book in particular that I think is fundamental: its ability to actively engage, involve, and empower new generations of professionals in the Kenyan food system. The project that led to the creation of this expanded edition was developed and executed entirely by researchers from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and the Universities of Egerton, Embu, and Nairobi in Kenya. Fifty students from the three Kenyan universities were taught to identify, describe, and communicate about local food heritage following the Ark of Taste approach, and Kenyan researchers contributed new chapters focused on creating awareness among the general public about the importance of this heritage. This collective, co- operative work enabled us to expand the data set on Kenyan traditional food biodiversity to include products that Western knowledge alone wouldn’t have been able to identify. The products described in this book represent the tangible and intangible knowledge and skills of multitudes of people who, despite difficulties and with great passion, labor every day to grow and safeguard the biodiversity on which we all depend. The gastronomic heritage of every country rests primarily on the shoulders of these people, who care for the environment, keep marginal communities thriving, save soils from erosion, and protect biological, cultural, and food diversity. As consumers, we can choose to incorporate biodiversity into our diets, becoming valuable allies in its preservation. We have the simple but profound power act with care and respect toward the people who cultivate biodiversity, contributing to their wellbeing as well as to our own health and the health of our planet. By sustainably consuming diverse foods and embrac- ing eating as a creative act that simultaneously meets our physiological needs and brings us great pleasure, we can ensure the survival of the extensive and valuable heritage that this book celebrates.Item Changes in Soil Organic Matter as Influenced by Organic Residue Management Regimes in Selected Experiments in Kenya(Springer, 2007) Waswa, B.S.; Mugendi, Daniel N.; Vanlauwe, B.; Kung’u, J.The failure to understand the dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) is a major limitation to the sustainability of smallholder production systems that predominantly relied on organic resources for the maintenance of soil fertility. This study evaluated the influence of organic resource management on SOM in three selected experiments in central and western highlands of Kenya. Results showed that soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and carbon-13 (13C) values in the three experiments were depending on the amounts of the organic residues applied as well as the duration of application indicating that organic residue management practices have a profound impact on the final contribution to the SOM pools. Kabete experiment had the narrowest C, N and 13C values pointing to its young age as well as the low quantity of the organic residues applied. On the other hand, Embu experiment had soil C values above the critical level of 2.0% indicating a positive effect of continued application of organic residues. In all the three sites, aggregate mineral fraction (MF) size distribution were dominated by macroaggregates (250–500μm and >500 μm) which on average accounted for about 72%, 65% and 69% of the dry soil weight for Maseno, Kabete and Embu experiments, respectively. Similarly higher proportions of aggregate light fractions (LF) C and N were observed in macroaggregate fractions for the three experiments with organic treatments having higher proportions. The 13C signatures of the LF in the macroaggregates (>250 μm) were more negative as compared to the 13C values in the microaggregate (53–250 μm) LF suggesting a more C contribution from C3 vegetation to the most recently incorporated SOM pool