PARC was created to think differently about how African research takes place, specifically to give Africa its voice. PARC’s core mission is to help rebalance the global science and research ecosystem to ensure African scholars and institutions take their rightful place in the global scientific effort.
PARC represents the University of Bristol’s cross-disciplinary commitment to championing transformation in research collaborations with Africa to advance global science and the achievement of the continent’s own aspirations.
PARC has formal partnerships with leading African institutions, including the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of South Africa (UNISA). It also collaborates with over 120 universities and research institutes across Africa that have signed the Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations.
Africa Charter
The Charter is an Africa-centred framework for advancing a transformative mode of research collaborations that will serve to advance and uphold the continent’s place in the global production of scientific knowledge.
It was co-created by PARC along with Africa’s major higher education constituencies, including the Association of African Universities (AAU), African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), African Academy of Sciences (AAS), CODESRIA and International Network for Higher Education in Africa (INHEA) among others.
It has been endorsed by more than 100 signatories.
Capstone programmes are being developed in four broad areas that represent fields of concern and interest in the continent and relevant clusters of expertise within the University of Bristol:
- Care systems and economies
- Sexual and gender-based violence
- Water management, sanitation and hygiene
- Climate change
These are interdisciplinary programmes of research and policy engagement that are regional in scope. Additional capstone programmes may emerge in time, including from Africa-led projects funded through the PARC Partnerships Fund.
Perivoli Foundation Sponsored
Projects Through PARC
Perivoli Foundation Sponsored Projects Through PARC
Perivoli Foundation has sponsored a number of research projects through PARC on the following topics: Land Rejuvenation, Farming Practices, Water, Alternative Foods, Marine Health, Animal Conservation, Renewable Energy and Carbon Drawdown.
PROJECT
Carbon Drawdown
A baseline study of giant kelp (macrocystis pyrifera) at the Kelp Blue Farm off the coast of Luderitz to assess its carbon sequestration potential
It is well understood that oceans absorb CO2 and, in doing so, become more acidic, affecting the salinity, oxygen concentration and nutrient concentration of the seas. A Dutch start up, Kelp Blue, is aiming to build artificial marine kelp forests which would aim to absorb CO2 so as to address the pH balance of the water. One of its first trial projects will be off the coast of Namibia at Lüderitz, one of the world’s most consistent upselling systems. The aim of this study, in conjunction with the University of Cambridge, is to measure the effect of the kelp farm on the changes in PH, calcification and major irons of the water as a result of the introduction of the marine kelp.
Prof Daniel - University of Namibia
PROJECT
Carbon Drawdown
A baseline study of giant kelp (macrocystis pyrifera) at the Kelp Blue Farm off the coast of Luderitz to assess its carbon sequestration potential
It is well understood that oceans absorb CO2 and, in doing so, become more acidic, affecting the salinity, oxygen concentration and nutrient concentration of the seas. A Dutch start up, Kelp Blue, is aiming to build artificial marine kelp forests which would aim to absorb CO2 so as to address the pH balance of the water. One of its first trial projects will be off the coast of Namibia at Lüderitz, one of the world’s most consistent upselling systems. The aim of this study, in conjunction with the University of Cambridge, is to measure the effect of the kelp farm on the changes in PH, calcification and major irons of the water as a result of the introduction of the marine kelp.
Prof Daniel - University of Namibia
PROJECT
Renewable Energy
Demonstration of small-scale biogas generation from succulents
A project to demonstrate the application of methanogenic bacteria in the absence of oxygen to anaerobically digestible waste and non-woody plant biomass to create biogas for use in small-scale power generation with the nitrogen-rich sludge being suitable for soil enrichment and potentially other side products such as proteins and bioplastics.
Prof Rolf Becker of the University of Namibia in conjunction with Andrew Smith of the University of Oxford
PROJECT
Renewable Energy
Demonstration of small-scale biogas generation from succulents
A project to demonstrate the application of methanogenic bacteria in the absence of oxygen to anaerobically digestible waste and non-woody plant biomass to create biogas for use in small-scale power generation with the nitrogen-rich sludge being suitable for soil enrichment and potentially other side products such as proteins and bioplastics.
Prof Rolf Becker of the University of Namibia in conjunction with Andrew Smith of the University of Oxford
PROJECT
Animal Conservation
An assessment of the clinical effects of water-based perphenazine on the behaviour of boma-kept Impala
A study at the School of Veterinary Medicine at NUST on the drugs applied to sedate game animals, using Impala, to compare the efficacy of water-based sedatives versus the longer lasting and more disruptive oil-based variant used for the relocation of game animals to areas where cattle no longer prosper in the increasingly arid rangelands of Namibia.
Dr Israel Amuthitu – Namibia University of Science and Technology
PROJECT
Animal Conservation
An assessment of the clinical effects of water-based perphenazine on the behaviour of boma-kept Impala
A study at the School of Veterinary Medicine at NUST on the drugs applied to sedate game animals, using Impala, to compare the efficacy of water-based sedatives versus the longer lasting and more disruptive oil-based variant used for the relocation of game animals to areas where cattle no longer prosper in the increasingly arid rangelands of Namibia.
Dr Israel Amuthitu – Namibia University of Science and Technology
PROJECT
Marine Health
Characterisation, source apportionment and impacts of microplastics in the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, Kenya
A study of the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria to identify the extent of microplastics in the lake water, upon which 1 million people depend, and equally the nature and extent of pollution from additives such as dies, UV stabilisers, plasticisers, flame retardants, etc. with a view to establishing the extent to which these pollutants shade the water retarding the normal process of photosynthesis, hinder the growth of carbon dependent algae or even more seriously replace atmospheric carbon dioxide as their energy source.
Dr Fred Lisouza – Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya / Dr Charlotte Lloyd – University of Bristol
PROJECT
Marine Health
Characterisation, source apportionment and impacts of microplastics in the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, Kenya
A study of the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria to identify the extent of microplastics in the lake water, upon which 1 million people depend, and equally the nature and extent of pollution from additives such as dies, UV stabilisers, plasticisers, flame retardants, etc. with a view to establishing the extent to which these pollutants shade the water retarding the normal process of photosynthesis, hinder the growth of carbon dependent algae or even more seriously replace atmospheric carbon dioxide as their energy source.
Dr Fred Lisouza – Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya / Dr Charlotte Lloyd – University of Bristol
PROJECT
Alternative Foods
Mushroom cultivation using harvested bush encroachers
A zero-emissions project at the Okondjatu Settlement in Central Namibia to evaluate and promote the cultivation of up to three species of mushrooms, whose high protein nutritional properties and ease of cultivation are well understood, making use of agricultural waste (sawdust from the processing of encroached bush and other crop by-products), with mushroom by-products to be used as animal feed, targeting women and unemployed youth.
Dr Uetele Kadhila – University of Namibia
PROJECT
Alternative Foods
Mushroom cultivation using harvested bush encroachers
A zero-emissions project at the Okondjatu Settlement in Central Namibia to evaluate and promote the cultivation of up to three species of mushrooms, whose high protein nutritional properties and ease of cultivation are well understood, making use of agricultural waste (sawdust from the processing of encroached bush and other crop by-products), with mushroom by-products to be used as animal feed, targeting women and unemployed youth.
Dr Uetele Kadhila – University of Namibia
PROJECT
Water
Assessment of the hydrological processes in wetland-groundwater ecosystems in semi-arid environments
A study of the wetland areas in the Cuvelai Basin, where 1.7 million people live either side of the border between Namibia and Angola, to develop a framework to quantify and understand the hydrological processes in wetland-groundwater ecosystems bearing in mind the dependence on them of people who live in semi-arid areas in the face of unpredictable variations in rain fall as a result of climate change. The study will contribute to the work being done by Southern African Science Service Centre Climate Change and Adaptative Land Management Consortia.
Dr Josephine Hamutoko – University of Namibia
PROJECT
Water
Assessment of the hydrological processes in wetland-groundwater ecosystems in semi-arid environments
A study of the wetland areas in the Cuvelai Basin, where 1.7 million people live either side of the border between Namibia and Angola, to develop a framework to quantify and understand the hydrological processes in wetland-groundwater ecosystems bearing in mind the dependence on them of people who live in semi-arid areas in the face of unpredictable variations in rain fall as a result of climate change. The study will contribute to the work being done by Southern African Science Service Centre Climate Change and Adaptative Land Management Consortia.
Dr Josephine Hamutoko – University of Namibia
PROJECT
Farming Practices
Promoting the System of Rice Intensification
An experiment on how to promote the adoption of the System of Rice Intensification by showing rice farmers in Kenya, using a digital chatbox form of communication (SMS and WhatsApp), the case for planting seedlings earlier and less intensely, using natural fertilisers, undertaking mechanical weeding and, crucially, not flooding paddy fields with water thereby increasing yields, reducing pollution and lessening the release of atmosphere-damaging methane from weeds that are otherwise not allowed to rot anaerobically.
Dr Mansi Bati – ARIFU www.arifu.com
PROJECT
Farming Practices
Promoting the System of Rice Intensification
An experiment on how to promote the adoption of the System of Rice Intensification by showing rice farmers in Kenya, using a digital chatbox form of communication (SMS and WhatsApp), the case for planting seedlings earlier and less intensely, using natural fertilisers, undertaking mechanical weeding and, crucially, not flooding paddy fields with water thereby increasing yields, reducing pollution and lessening the release of atmosphere-damaging methane from weeds that are otherwise not allowed to rot anaerobically.
Dr Mansi Bati – ARIFU www.arifu.com
PROJECT
Land Rejuvenation
Assessing the impact of bush control on soil carbon sequestration, soil fertility and groundwater recharge in Namibian rangelands
Encroachment of thorny bush species over much of Namibia’s rangeland, thought to be a result of overgrazing, fire suppression, drought and excess CO2 in the atmosphere, at the cost of palatable grasses, is well documented. This study, based at Otjiwa Safari Lodge in Central Namibia, will focus on its impact on biodiversity, groundwater retention, soil health and carbon capture with the aim of assessing the case, or otherwise, for periodic de-bushing practices.
Dr Wellencia Nesongano – University of Namibia
PROJECT
Land Rejuvenation
Assessing the impact of bush control on soil carbon sequestration, soil fertility and groundwater recharge in Namibian rangelands
Encroachment of thorny bush species over much of Namibia’s rangeland, thought to be a result of overgrazing, fire suppression, drought and excess CO2 in the atmosphere, at the cost of palatable grasses, is well documented. This study, based at Otjiwa Safari Lodge in Central Namibia, will focus on its impact on biodiversity, groundwater retention, soil health and carbon capture with the aim of assessing the case, or otherwise, for periodic de-bushing practices.
Dr Wellencia Nesongano – University of Namibia
PROJECT
Carbon Drawdown
A baseline study of giant kelp (macrocystis pyrifera) at the Kelp Blue Farm off the coast of Luderitz to assess its carbon sequestration potential
It is well understood that oceans absorb CO2 and, in doing so, become more acidic, affecting the salinity, oxygen concentration and nutrient concentration of the seas. A Dutch start up, Kelp Blue, is aiming to build artificial marine kelp forests which would aim to absorb CO2 so as to address the pH balance of the water. One of its first trial projects will be off the coast of Namibia at Lüderitz, one of the world’s most consistent upselling systems. The aim of this study, in conjunction with the University of Cambridge, is to measure the effect of the kelp farm on the changes in PH, calcification and major irons of the water as a result of the introduction of the marine kelp.
Prof Daniel - University of Namibia
PROJECT
Carbon Drawdown
A baseline study of giant kelp (macrocystis pyrifera) at the Kelp Blue Farm off the coast of Luderitz to assess its carbon sequestration potential
It is well understood that oceans absorb CO2 and, in doing so, become more acidic, affecting the salinity, oxygen concentration and nutrient concentration of the seas. A Dutch start up, Kelp Blue, is aiming to build artificial marine kelp forests which would aim to absorb CO2 so as to address the pH balance of the water. One of its first trial projects will be off the coast of Namibia at Lüderitz, one of the world’s most consistent upselling systems. The aim of this study, in conjunction with the University of Cambridge, is to measure the effect of the kelp farm on the changes in PH, calcification and major irons of the water as a result of the introduction of the marine kelp.
Prof Daniel - University of Namibia
PROJECT
Renewable Energy
Demonstration of small-scale biogas generation from succulents
A project to demonstrate the application of methanogenic bacteria in the absence of oxygen to anaerobically digestible waste and non-woody plant biomass to create biogas for use in small-scale power generation with the nitrogen-rich sludge being suitable for soil enrichment and potentially other side products such as proteins and bioplastics.
Prof Rolf Becker of the University of Namibia in conjunction with Andrew Smith of the University of Oxford
PROJECT
Renewable Energy
Demonstration of small-scale biogas generation from succulents
A project to demonstrate the application of methanogenic bacteria in the absence of oxygen to anaerobically digestible waste and non-woody plant biomass to create biogas for use in small-scale power generation with the nitrogen-rich sludge being suitable for soil enrichment and potentially other side products such as proteins and bioplastics.
Prof Rolf Becker of the University of Namibia in conjunction with Andrew Smith of the University of Oxford
PROJECT
Animal Conservation
An assessment of the clinical effects of water-based perphenazine on the behaviour of boma-kept Impala
A study at the School of Veterinary Medicine at NUST on the drugs applied to sedate game animals, using Impala, to compare the efficacy of water-based sedatives versus the longer lasting and more disruptive oil-based variant used for the relocation of game animals to areas where cattle no longer prosper in the increasingly arid rangelands of Namibia.
Dr Israel Amuthitu – Namibia University of Science and Technology
PROJECT
Animal Conservation
An assessment of the clinical effects of water-based perphenazine on the behaviour of boma-kept Impala
A study at the School of Veterinary Medicine at NUST on the drugs applied to sedate game animals, using Impala, to compare the efficacy of water-based sedatives versus the longer lasting and more disruptive oil-based variant used for the relocation of game animals to areas where cattle no longer prosper in the increasingly arid rangelands of Namibia.
Dr Israel Amuthitu – Namibia University of Science and Technology
PROJECT
Marine Health
Characterisation, source apportionment and impacts of microplastics in the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, Kenya
A study of the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria to identify the extent of microplastics in the lake water, upon which 1 million people depend, and equally the nature and extent of pollution from additives such as dies, UV stabilisers, plasticisers, flame retardants, etc. with a view to establishing the extent to which these pollutants shade the water retarding the normal process of photosynthesis, hinder the growth of carbon dependent algae or even more seriously replace atmospheric carbon dioxide as their energy source.
Dr Fred Lisouza – Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya / Dr Charlotte Lloyd – University of Bristol
PROJECT
Marine Health
Characterisation, source apportionment and impacts of microplastics in the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, Kenya
A study of the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria to identify the extent of microplastics in the lake water, upon which 1 million people depend, and equally the nature and extent of pollution from additives such as dies, UV stabilisers, plasticisers, flame retardants, etc. with a view to establishing the extent to which these pollutants shade the water retarding the normal process of photosynthesis, hinder the growth of carbon dependent algae or even more seriously replace atmospheric carbon dioxide as their energy source.
Dr Fred Lisouza – Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya / Dr Charlotte Lloyd – University of Bristol
PROJECT
Alternative Foods
Mushroom cultivation using harvested bush encroachers
A zero-emissions project at the Okondjatu Settlement in Central Namibia to evaluate and promote the cultivation of up to three species of mushrooms, whose high protein nutritional properties and ease of cultivation are well understood, making use of agricultural waste (sawdust from the processing of encroached bush and other crop by-products), with mushroom by-products to be used as animal feed, targeting women and unemployed youth.
Dr Uetele Kadhila – University of Namibia
PROJECT
Alternative Foods
Mushroom cultivation using harvested bush encroachers
A zero-emissions project at the Okondjatu Settlement in Central Namibia to evaluate and promote the cultivation of up to three species of mushrooms, whose high protein nutritional properties and ease of cultivation are well understood, making use of agricultural waste (sawdust from the processing of encroached bush and other crop by-products), with mushroom by-products to be used as animal feed, targeting women and unemployed youth.
Dr Uetele Kadhila – University of Namibia
PROJECT
Water
Assessment of the hydrological processes in wetland-groundwater ecosystems in semi-arid environments
A study of the wetland areas in the Cuvelai Basin, where 1.7 million people live either side of the border between Namibia and Angola, to develop a framework to quantify and understand the hydrological processes in wetland-groundwater ecosystems bearing in mind the dependence on them of people who live in semi-arid areas in the face of unpredictable variations in rain fall as a result of climate change. The study will contribute to the work being done by Southern African Science Service Centre Climate Change and Adaptative Land Management Consortia.
Dr Josephine Hamutoko – University of Namibia
PROJECT
Water
Assessment of the hydrological processes in wetland-groundwater ecosystems in semi-arid environments
A study of the wetland areas in the Cuvelai Basin, where 1.7 million people live either side of the border between Namibia and Angola, to develop a framework to quantify and understand the hydrological processes in wetland-groundwater ecosystems bearing in mind the dependence on them of people who live in semi-arid areas in the face of unpredictable variations in rain fall as a result of climate change. The study will contribute to the work being done by Southern African Science Service Centre Climate Change and Adaptative Land Management Consortia.
Dr Josephine Hamutoko – University of Namibia
PROJECT
Farming Practices
Promoting the System of Rice Intensification
An experiment on how to promote the adoption of the System of Rice Intensification by showing rice farmers in Kenya, using a digital chatbox form of communication (SMS and WhatsApp), the case for planting seedlings earlier and less intensely, using natural fertilisers, undertaking mechanical weeding and, crucially, not flooding paddy fields with water thereby increasing yields, reducing pollution and lessening the release of atmosphere-damaging methane from weeds that are otherwise not allowed to rot anaerobically.
Dr Mansi Bati – ARIFU www.arifu.com
PROJECT
Farming Practices
Promoting the System of Rice Intensification
An experiment on how to promote the adoption of the System of Rice Intensification by showing rice farmers in Kenya, using a digital chatbox form of communication (SMS and WhatsApp), the case for planting seedlings earlier and less intensely, using natural fertilisers, undertaking mechanical weeding and, crucially, not flooding paddy fields with water thereby increasing yields, reducing pollution and lessening the release of atmosphere-damaging methane from weeds that are otherwise not allowed to rot anaerobically.
Dr Mansi Bati – ARIFU www.arifu.com
PROJECT
Land Rejuvenation
Assessing the impact of bush control on soil carbon sequestration, soil fertility and groundwater recharge in Namibian rangelands
Encroachment of thorny bush species over much of Namibia’s rangeland, thought to be a result of overgrazing, fire suppression, drought and excess CO2 in the atmosphere, at the cost of palatable grasses, is well documented. This study, based at Otjiwa Safari Lodge in Central Namibia, will focus on its impact on biodiversity, groundwater retention, soil health and carbon capture with the aim of assessing the case, or otherwise, for periodic de-bushing practices.
Dr Wellencia Nesongano – University of Namibia
PROJECT
Land Rejuvenation
Assessing the impact of bush control on soil carbon sequestration, soil fertility and groundwater recharge in Namibian rangelands
Encroachment of thorny bush species over much of Namibia’s rangeland, thought to be a result of overgrazing, fire suppression, drought and excess CO2 in the atmosphere, at the cost of palatable grasses, is well documented. This study, based at Otjiwa Safari Lodge in Central Namibia, will focus on its impact on biodiversity, groundwater retention, soil health and carbon capture with the aim of assessing the case, or otherwise, for periodic de-bushing practices.
Dr Wellencia Nesongano – University of Namibia
