During the reporting period, several key activities have taken place that have brought us closer to our project goals. One of these was the development of the project website, which is continuously updated to keep track of current project activities. The ECSDevelop project website has gained both local and international views, with our readers constantly contacting us about the new opportunities in the project. Both past and current project activities can be followed on our website.
Some of the past and current activities that can be found on our ECSDevelop project website include the following:
- Call for applications for APPEAR-funded MSc and PhD scholarships at Makerere University, Kyambogo University and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology. Through our website, in addition to the university websites, many candidates from the East African community applied for the APPEAR scholarship. We achieved this milestone because of our active ECSDevelop website.
- ECSDevelop project inception meeting and launch at Makerere University which was widely advertised in Uganda and beyond, attracting participants from different parts of Uganda and East Africa from academia, industry, government ministries, NGOs and well-wishers. The results of the Inaugural Meeting, especially the stakeholder engagement, were further disseminated through the Makerere University website and also through a local newspaper in Uganda, which increased the visibility and publicity of the project, thereby reaching a wider audience/population.
- Information on project members includes supervisors, coordinators and students. The information about each team member, especially the students, is continuously updated to give a more recent and representative progress of the students as they undertake different tasks/activities in their research including but not limited to; field work, laboratory work, seminar series, local and international workshops and conferences. There are pictures on the website showing students and the project team carrying out field work/reconnaissance visits and laboratory work.
- The project team has so far published one book chapter and four peer-reviewed articles. These are available on the project website and include the following:
Omara, T., Nagawa, B. C., Kyarimpa, C., Böhmdorfer, S., Rosenau, T., Omwoma, S. L., Matovu, T., Odongo, S., & Ssebugere, P. (2023), Lacustrine Cyanobacteria, Algal Blooms and Cyanotoxins in East Africa: Implications for Human and Ecological Health Protection. Phycology. 2023; 3(1):147-167.
Shikuku, V. O., Achieng, G. O., & Ssebugere, P. (2022). Towards Sustainable Use of Algae as Adsorbents for Wastewater Treatment. In Handbook of Research on Algae as a Sustainable Solution for Food, Energy, and the Environment (pp. 547-561). IGI Global.
Emily Chelangat Ngeno, Kinyua E. Mbuci, Mohamed Chaker Necibi, Victor Odhiambo Shikuku, Chijioke Olisah, Roselyn Ongulu, Henry Matovu, Patrick Ssebugere, Almotasembellah Abushaban, & Mika Sillanpää (2022). Sustainable re-utilization of waste materials as adsorbents for water and wastewater treatment in Africa: Recent studies, research gaps, and way forward for emerging economies. Environmental Advances, 9, 100282.
Victor O. Shikuku, Emily C. Ngeno, Joel B. Njewa, & Patrick Ssebugere (2022). Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in East African water resources: progress, challenges, and future. Physical Sciences Reviews.