AICAT – (Arava International Centre for Agriculture Training internship programme) – Training will take 11 months. This is an exchange programme over 50 students from UoN are on internship with effective from 30th October 2021.
DOWN2EARTH Project is a collaborative research project funded by European Union, led by the Cardiff University and includes University of Bristol, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, University of Hohenheim, University of Nairobi, Addis Ababa University, IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC), Ghent University, University of East Anglia, Food and Agriculture Organization-Somalia Water and Land Information System (FAO-SWALIM), Climate Analytics, BBC Media Action, Action Aid, and Transparency Solutions.
Translation of climate information into multilevel decision support for social adaptation, policy development, and resilience to water scarcity in the Horn of Africa Drylands (DOWN2EARTH) Project seeks to address the multi-faceted challenges of water scarcity and food insecurity under climate change in Horn of Africa Drylands, by facilitating community-centered adaptation and resilience to climate change impacts. The project is funded by European Union under the Horizon 2020 programme.
The University of Nairobi's, Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology (LARMAT) was part of the attendees of the “Socio-Ecological Changes and Conflicting Visions at Frontiers of Development in East Africa” conference held on 18th November 2021. The Department was represented by Dr. Oliver Vivian Wasonga, a Senior lecturer.
Two students, Brian Oginga and Ruth Basweti (Bsc Management of Agroecosystems - Class of 2020) made a courtesy call to the department on 28th October, 2021. They had been selected for the 11 months internship in Israel under the AICAT (Arava International Centre for Agriculture Training) Internship 2020/2021. They form part of the 50 UoN students that left for Israel on 30th October 2021.
On 8 November 2021, a follow-up meeting was held between Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology(LARMAT) and Biovision Foundation (the sponsor of the AATC) . In attendance was Frank Eyhorn (CEO) and Fabian Kohler (Program Officer) both from Biovision. Representatives from the University of Nairobi (LARMAT/AATC) and NutriProduce were Prof. Richard Onwonga (Chairman, LARMAT) , Janeth Chepkemoi (Project Supervisor), and Noel Templer (logistics officer), respectively.
The AATC workshop was held on Friday 15th October and marked the culmination of the 3.5-weeks course. The workshop was attended by UoN Faculty of Agriculture dean (Prof. Rose Nyikal and associate Dean Prof. Moses Nyangito), Faculty of agriculture staff, Chairman, Department of LARMAT (Prof. Richard Onwonga), facilitators, ITCOA alumni course instructors, and students. The objective of the workshop was to disseminate the results culminating from the field activities.
Mr. Richard Osaliya successfully defended his PhD thesis titled: “Impact of Land Use/Cover and Climate Change on Surface Water Resources in Semi-Arid Lokok and Lokere Catchments, Uganda” during a virtual oral examination convened by the Faculty of Agriculture on November 3, 2021. Richard was registered in the Department of Land Resource Management & Agricultural Technology (LARMAT). Dr. Oliver Vivian Wasonga (LARMAT), Prof.
Dr. Oscar Koech from the University of Nairobi (UoN), Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology (LARMAT) between 18th- 29th October, 2021, offered National Training Course to National staff from National Agricultural Training Institute (NARI) and the ministry of agriculture staff and researchers in Eretria. The training was sponsored by Development of Smart Innovations through Research in Agriculture (DeSIRA), funded by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
