Centre for Development and Environment (CDE)

Research

CLOC Eastern Africa

People form a globe that puts Africa and Europe at the centre — Photo: shutterstock / Arthimedes

The Cluster of Cooperation (CLOC) Eastern Africa is a network of researchers and institutions that aims to foster North–South partnerships for research and education. It works to strengthen the capacities needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and Africa’s strategic framework, Agenda 2063, by providing an adequate platform to promote knowledge generation, information exchange, and opportunities for academic collaboration between Swiss universities and key actors in Eastern Africa.

Breaking down academic silos and sectoral thinking

The network enables transformative research and education by breaking down academic silos and sectoral thinking, and it supports transdisciplinary approaches. It includes partners who play an active role in discussing, formulating, and implementing the most innovative sustainable development strategies and policies in the region.

Thematically, the CLOC Eastern Africa focuses on the following areas and their interlinkages:

Land and water management and governance
Food security and nutrition
Climate change mitigation and adaptation
Health issues and the one health approach
Migration (rural–urban, internal, and outmigration)

Linking Swiss and African higher education institutions

It launched its activities in 2021. It is part of the swissuniversities Development and Cooperation Network (SUDAC). Its goals are:

To establish strong inter- and transdisciplinary research partnerships that generate policy-relevant research results on SDG-related key topics for the region and help guide decision-making processes.
To build capacities of researchers through a training and teaching programme that fosters transformative research and strengthens national-level collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and civil society.

Main activities

Networking and knowledge exchange

The CLOC is establishing a vibrant knowledge exchange platform linking scientists, policymakers, and civil society. Research and education priorities are developed in a transdisciplinary way, and strategic foresight is used to prepare for emerging debates.

Mobility programme

The network is fostering partnerships through a mobility programme among partners in Eastern Africa and Swiss higher education institutions.

Training and teaching events related to Sustainable Development

The CLOC coordinates and organizes training and teaching events on sustainable development and transformative research.

Seed money collaboration grants 2024

4 collaboration projects have been funded, 2 in Ethiopia and 2 with collaboration in Kenya and Ethiopia.

ETHIOPIA

Ensuring access to water and sanitation services for refugees in Addis Ababa

Ethiopia currently hosts around 930,000 refugees, 74,353 of whom live in Addis Ababa. However, to what extent they have access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services remains unclear, despite the crucial role of such services in health, well-being, and dignity. Access to WASH services is typically hampered by factors such as inadequate infrastructure, overcrowding, gender-based violence, limited hygiene education, and legal restrictions. Addis Ababa University, SUPSI, and HSLU-SA are working to identify appropriate areas for intervention.

Harnessing indigenous knowledge to help small-scale farmers in Ethiopia close yield gaps

Small-scale farmers in Ethiopia struggle with yield gaps caused by factors such as low intensification, frequent droughts, and limited access to technology. Traditional farming practices (e.g. residual soil moisture-based cropping and agroforestry) hold promise for addressing these issues, and offer potential benefits for resilience, food security, income, and soil health. Researchers from WLRC, Jimma University, and CDE are working with smallholder farmers to explore and document indigenous knowledge and identify how ICT tools can be used to improve farming practices.

ETHIOPIA AND KENYA

Supporting women in agroecological farming to build climate change resilience

Agroecological farming enables vegetable farmers in Eastern Africa, many of whom are women, to produce diverse foods with fewer synthetic inputs in a small area. This project focuses on these women farmers, strengthening their knowledge on agroecological vegetable production to build their resilience to climate change. The project will be implemented at Jimma (Ethiopia) and Isiolo (Kenya) in collaboration with Jimma University, Kisii University, Geneva Graduate Institute, Antenna Foundation, CETRAD, and CDE.

Improving education on climate resilience and sustainability in Kenya and Ethiopia

Kenya and Ethiopia are rich in diversity, culture, and natural beauty. However, they are grappling with escalating challenges of climate change, such as erratic weather patterns, prolonged droughts, and dwindling water resources. To empower people to take proactive steps towards climate resilience and sustainability, two Kenyan institutions (Kisii University and CETRAD), two Ethiopian institutions (Addis Ababa University and Hawassa College of Teacher Education), and CDE are developing an educational communication strategy and database.

Funded CLOC Seed Money Grants 2022

7 projects have been funded, 5 in Ethiopia and 2 in Kenya.

ETHIOPIA

Protecting and integrating urban migrants in Addis Ababa

Cities offer hope, opportunity, and essential services – making them a hub for migrants seeking a better life. But what happens to the urban refugees once they get to the city, and are their expectations met? There is little research on urban migration in the context of African cities. Addis Ababa University and HSLU-SA are therefore conducting an explorative study on the economic and social integration of refugees in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. As one of the largest labour-sending and refugee-hosting countries in Africa, Ethiopia is an important hub of both outward and inward migration.

How indigenous practices can intensify agricultural production for food security

Global food demand is expected to double by 2050 and agricultural intensification offers options to meet it. Many local practices worldwide are highly adapted to variations in socio-ecological conditions, but have received little attention in science, policy, and development interventions. Transdisciplinary research into indigenous practices to intensify agricultural production is being conducted by WLRC (Addis Ababa University) and CDE (University of Bern). Through knowledge co-creation and technology transfer, the long-term partners will carry out pilot projects and seek funding to scale them up.

Financing WASH improvements to enhance well-being and urban agriculture (fWASH)

No safe drinking water, no toilets, and nowhere to wash your hands – this is the reality for millions of people living in slums and on the outskirts of cities in Ethiopia. A major reason for this lack of basic sanitation is that organizations – even in the private sector – simply don’t know how to invest in improving Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities. EIWR (Addis Ababa University) and SUPSI are researching awareness of WASH and willingness to support its improvement. They are also creating awareness among communities about the safe use of sanitation outputs in urban agriculture.

Promoting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Ethiopia

Despite the importance of achieving the SDGs, Ethiopia currently offers no Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) training for schoolteachers or university lecturers. And the few available curriculum contents related to SD do not address the concept holistically. WLRC (Addis Ababa University) and Bern University of Teacher Education are therefore developing a concept to promote ESD among key stakeholders in Ethiopia. The collaboration is aimed at improving the understanding of SD among policymakers, curriculum designers, as well as university and school leadership and teaching staff.

Agroecological educational farm for food security in southwestern Ethiopia

Inputs such as synthetic fertilizer are often too expensive for resource-poor farmers in Ethiopia. For these farmers, agroecology offers many advantages. Not only does it allow them to grow diverse food products on relatively small areas of land – it is also beneficial for the environment. To foster agroecological practices, Jimma University, Geneva Graduate Institute, and the Antenna Foundation are developing educational farms in Ethiopia. These farms act as laboratories and schools for farmers to develop and put into practice their knowledge of agroecology.

KENYA

Understanding climate change literacy and strategies among local inhabitants in Isiolo county

With limited natural resources, Kenya is highly vulnerable when it comes to climate change. Massive infrastructure projects currently underway will bring further challenges: the LAPSSET Corridor linking Kenya with South Sudan and Ethiopia will foster in-migration and affect livelihoods. Kisii University, CETRAD, and CDE (University of Bern) are investigating climate literacy in Isiolo county, to understand what the inhabitants know about climate change and what mitigation and adaptation strategies they have. The researchers are paying particular attention to gender and development issues.

Creating a sustainable and circular coconut production system

Coconut is a key crop for food security and livelihoods in the coastal regions of Kenya and Tanzania. Despite its relevance, the crop remains underutilized and receives little attention in research and policy. The coconut value chain faces many challenges including low productivity coconut plants, few opportunities for value addition and processing, and inadequate extension services. Egerton University and the University of Zurich are collaborating on a project to evaluate the coconut production system and identify and co-produce sustainable and circular solutions for trial and adoption.

Website

Looking for funding opportunities?

The funding instruments for bilateral research collaboration are open to researchers of all Swiss universities, universities of applied sciences, and public research institutions.

Leading House Africa

Interested to join?

Are you interested in becoming part of the network? If so, feel free to contact us anytime: isabelle.providoli(at)unibe.ch


Co-Heads	Prof. Dr. Thomas Breu, CDE, University of Bern Prof. Claudio Valsangiacomo, Centre for Development and Cooperation SUPSI
Project coodination unit	Prof. Sandro Cattacin, University of Geneva Dr. Gülcan Akkaya, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts Dr. Boniface Kiteme, CETRAD, Kenya Dr. Gete Zeleke, WLRC, Ethiopia Prof. Dr. Argaw Ambelu, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Contact	Dr. Isabelle Providoli, CDE, University of Bern
Funding	swissuniversities/SUDAC
Swiss partners	Antenna Foundation Bern University of Applied Sciences Centre for Development and Environment CDE, University of Bern Centre for Development and Cooperation SUPSI Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE) Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences EPFL ETHZ Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts Swisspeace Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute Swissuniversitites td-net University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Western Switzerland University of Basel University of Bern University of Fribourg University of Geneva University of Neuchâtel University of Zurich University of Teacher Education, Bern University of Teacher Education (BEJUNE) University of Teacher Education, Lucerne University of Teacher Education Zürich University of Teacher Education focusing on special needs education Wyss Academy for Nature, Bern
African partners	DJIBOUTI Université de Djibouti ETHIOPIA Adama Science and Technology University Addis Ababa University Ambo University Arsi University Bahir Dar University Bule Hora University Center for Population Studies, Addis Ababa University Debre Berhan University Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources, Addis Ababa University Hawassa University Haramaya University Jigjiga University Jimma University Mattu University University of Gondar Water and Land Resource Centre WLRC Wolaita Sodo University Wollo University KENYA CETRAD Egerton University Jomo Kenyatta University of Agricultures and Technology Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute Kibabii University Kirinyaga University Kisii University Kisumu National Polytechnic Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology Moi University Pwani University SDSN Kenya St Paul's University Kenya Strathmore University University of Eldoret University of Nairobi TANZANIA Ardhi University Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI)