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Digitalization has intensified globalization and economic interactivity between countries both developed and developing, increasing the complexity and lack of transparency in economic activities. The increase in digital transactions poses a remarkable challenge for tax authorities yet the digital economy is slowly replacing traditional commercialization and transactions. Conventional international tax legislation has not kept abreast with the growth and complexity of the digital economy and its accompanying challenges with respect to taxation. In view of the infant nature of digital tax legislation in African countries as well as the auspicious possibility of increasing tax revenue to fund public expenditure together with the probability of contradictory outcomes of digital tax policy, through a critical literature review this paper assesses digital taxation through direct digital service taxes (DSTs) in Africa. The findings were mixed. While the possibility of tax revenue maximization and improved economic growth were persuasive, the arguments pointing to negative externalities emanating from poor digital service tax policy design were equally pragmatic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcystins are produced by multifaceted organisms called cyanobacteria, which are integral to Africa's freshwater environments. The excessive proliferation of cyanobacteria caused by rising temperature and eutrophication leads to the production and release of copious amounts of microcystins, requiring critical management and control approaches to prevent the adverse environmental and public health problems associated with these bioactive metabolites. Despite hypotheses reported to explain the phylogeography and mechanisms responsible for cyanobacterial blooms in aquatic water bodies, many aspects are scarcely understood in Africa due to the paucity of investigations and lack of uniformity of experimental methods. Due to a lack of information and large-scale studies, cyanobacteria occurrence and genetic diversity are seldom reported in African aquatic ecosystems. This review covers the diversity and geographical distribution of potential microcystin-producing and non-microcystin-producing cyanobacterial taxa in Africa. Molecular analyses using housekeeping genes (e.g., 16S rRNA, ITS, rpoC1, etc.) revealed significant sequence divergence across several cyanobacterial strains from East, North, West, and South Africa, but the lack of uniformity in molecular markers employed made continent-wise phylogenetic comparisons impossible. Planktothrix agardhii, Microcystis aeruginosa, and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (presently known as Raphidiopsis raciborskii) were the most commonly reported genera. Potential microcystin (MCs)-producing cyanobacteria were detected using mcy genes, and several microcystin congeners were recorded. Studying cyanobacteria species from the African continent is urgent to effectively safeguard public and environmental health because more than 80% of the continent has no data on these important microorganisms and their bioactive secondary metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitioning to clean cooking fuels is not only part of achieving SDG7 but also makes a significant contribution to mitigating climate change by reducing carbon emissions. Research projects and pilots across a number of countries in Africa and South Asia have been exploring the suitability and energy performance of different cooking appliances and fuels. The paper presents the first statistical analysis across these multiple datasets to determine the range of energy required to cook dishes using different technologies and fuels. The paper draws out distinctions between African and Asian dishes, notably the impact of energy-intensive dishes prepared mostly in Africa. The paper demonstrates that the standard efficiency-based approaches to comparing the performance of stoves are not appropriate to modern electric cooking devices, so a novel alternative approach based on specific energy consumption and termed energy ratios is developed. Charcoal stoves are shown to use 15 times as much energy as electric pressure cookers (EPCs) to cook African dishes, and a detailed review of how the EPC works explains why this should be. Energy ratios provide a basis for estimating carbon emission reductions associated with transitioning to modern cooking fuels and also for estimating household cooking costs. Fuel and electricity prices from studies show that the cost of cooking with an EPC can be only 20% of the cost of cooking with charcoal, which highlights the potential for modern, energy-efficient electric cooking devices to defy the conventional wisdom of the energy ladder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact and implications of ChatGPT and other generative AI technologies within the African context while looking at the ethical benefits and concerns that are particularly pertinent to the continent. Through a robust analysis of ChatGPT and other generative AI systems using established approaches for analysing the ethics of emerging technologies, this paper provides unique ethical benefits and concerns for these systems in the African context. This analysis combined approaches such as anticipatory technology ethics (ATE), ethical impact assessment (EIA), and ethical issues of emerging ICT applications with AI (ETICA) with specific issues from the literature. The findings show that ChatGPT and other generative AI systems raise unique ethical concerns such as bias, intergenerational justice, exploitation of labour and cultural diversity in Africa but also have significant ethical benefits. These ethical concerns and benefits are considered crucial in shaping the design and deployment of ChatGPT and similar technologies responsibly. It further explores the potential applications of ChatGPT in critical domain areas such as education, agriculture, and healthcare, thereby demonstrating the transformative possibilities that these technologies can have on Africa. This paper underscores the critical role of AI governance as Africa increasingly adopts ChatGPT and similar AI systems. It argues that a comprehensive understanding of AI governance is essential not only for maximising the benefits of generative AI systems but also for facilitating a global dialogue. This dialogue aims to foster shared knowledge and insights between the Global North and the Global South, which is important for the development and creation of inclusive and equitable AI policies and practices that can be beneficial for all regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) This research paper aims to conduct a comprehensive review of the existing scientific literature on intentional dental modifications within the African population. By synthesizing and analysing studies, this paper aims to shed light on the prevalence, cultural significance, and forensic implications of intentional dental modifications. (2) A scoping review was conducted according to PRISMA for Scoping Reviews and a search performed in June 2023 on the three electronic databases Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. (3) The search resulted in 30 studies and showed that intentional dental modifications, also referred to as nontherapeutic dental modifications, are prevalent across the African population for reasons linked to traditional medicine, ethnic affiliation, and individualism, with the highest-reported modification being infant oral mutilation at 53%, followed by tooth filing at 10%, and others such as lip plates, diastema piercings, dental avulsion, dental tattooing, crowns, and oral piercings. (4) The quality and quantity of the available literature on intentional dental modifications in the African population is limited due to bias in reporting, as most studies are those of individuals with severe health complications. The data gathered from this study could further aid in the analysis and identification of nontherapeutic dental modifications, be used in profiling, and assist in the estimation of population affiliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millions of formal and informal land rights are still undocumented worldwide and there is a need for scalable techniques to facilitate that documentation. In this context, sketch mapping based on printed high-resolution satellite or aerial imagery is being promoted as a fit-for-purpose land administration method and can be seen as a promising way to collect cadastral and land use information with the community in a rapid and cost-effective manner. The main disadvantage of paper-based mapping is the need for digitization to facilitate the integration with existing land administration information systems and the sustainable use of the data. Currently, this digitization is mostly done manually, which is time-consuming and error-prone. This article presents the SmartLandMaps approach to land rights mapping and digitization to address this gap. The recording involves the use of sketches during participatory mapping activities to delineate parcel boundaries, and the use of mobile phones to collect attribute information about spatial units and land rights holders. The digitization involves the use of photogrammetric techniques to derive a digital representation from the annotated paper maps, and the use of computer vision techniques to automate the extraction of parcel boundaries and stickers from raster maps. The approach was deployed in four scenarios across Africa, revealing its simplicity, versatility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. It can be regarded as a scalable alternative to traditional paper-based participatory land rights mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the influence of international trade, labor flow not only exists in the waves of international labor migration but is also embodied in international products and services. This paper focused on members of the China–Africa Cooperation Forum (FOCAC). We computed and analyzed the sectoral embodied labor transfer between China and Africa from 2000 to 2015 based on the Multiregional Input-Output Method. Our results are as follows: (1) Both China and Africa play roles as labor suppliers in the global supply chain. By ameliorating the trade structure, both China and Africa can better utilize their labor surplus. (2) China and Africa share complementarity in sectoral labor allocation. In short, the embodied labor transfer via international trade between China and Africa has, to some extent, relieved the labor shortage on both sides. (3) Africa has transformed into a net exporter of industrial labor since 2011. By analyzing the embodied labor flow from the global perspective, this paper beats a new path in depicting the effect of international trade on labor allocation, enriches the evaluation of embodied labor transfer between China and Africa, and also provides a beneficial supplement to Multiregional Input-Output analysis in the field of factor flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-Saharan Africa, with its hot and humid climate, is a conducive zone for tick proliferation. These vectors pose a major challenge to both animal and human health in the region. However, despite the relevance of emerging diseases and evidence of tick-borne disease emergence, very few studies have been dedicated to investigating zoonotic pathogens transmitted by ticks in this area. To raise awareness of the risks of tick-borne zoonotic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, and to define a direction for future research, this systematic review considers the trends of research on tick-borne bacteria, parasites, and viruses from 2012 to 2023, aiming to highlight the circulation of these pathogens in ticks, cattle, sheep, goats, and humans. For this purpose, three international databases were screened to select 159 papers fitting designed inclusion criteria and used for qualitative analyses. Analysis of these studies revealed a high diversity of tick-borne pathogens in sub-Saharan Africa, with a total of 37 bacterial species, 27 parasite species, and 14 viruses identified. Among these, 27% were zoonotic pathogens, yet only 11 studies investigated their presence in humans. Furthermore, there is growing interest in the investigation of bacteria and parasites in both ticks and ruminants. However, research into viruses is limited and has only received notable interest from 2021 onwards. While studies on the detection of bacteria, including those of medical interest, have focused on ticks, little consideration has been given to these vectors in studies of parasites circulation. Regarding the limited focus on zoonotic pathogens transmitted by ticks, particularly in humans, despite documented cases of emerging zoonoses and the notable 27% proportion reported, further efforts should be made to fill these gaps. Future studies should prioritize the investigation of zoonotic pathogens, especially viruses, which represent the primary emerging threats, by adopting a One Health approach. This will enhance the understanding of their circulation and impact on both human and animal health. In addition, more attention should be given to the risk factors/drivers associated to their emergence as well as the perception of the population at risk of infection from these zoonotic pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sahelian Great Green Wall (SGGW) is an influential project to combat desertification and promote sustainable land management on a large scale, involving 11 countries in the Sahel region of Africa. The UNCCD's 2020 progress report showed a mixed picture concerning the meeting of the initial targets. At the One Planet Summit in 2021, announcements were made to consolidate the implementation of the SGGW, most notably with the creation of the Great Green Wall Accelerator. In this context, our paper sets out to review the scientific work conducted with regard to the SGGW. We have thus carried out a bibliometric analysis of the literature on SGGW. Although the initiative involves 11 countries and covers a large spectrum of scientific disciplines, our results show the predominance of ecological studies in the SGGW literature and a concentration of studies in certain geographies of interest, such as northern Senegal. Moreover, based on a secondary analysis of publications on land restoration and sustainable ecosystem management in Sahelian countries, we show that the literature relevant to SGGW topics is richer and fills in the information gaps we have identified at thematic and geographical levels. By showing that SGGW studies are overly focused on certain topics and geographical areas, our paper argues for a better interdisciplinary mobilization of researchers working on GGW-related topics. The scientific and operational success of the project depends on stronger networking between the different research teams and themes, both in Africa and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using an aerosol–climate coupled model, this paper has investigated the changes in distributions of anthropogenic and natural particles due to 4 × CO2-induced global warming, under the low emission scenario of Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5). Special attention is paid to the seasonal variations of aerosol size modes. With rising CO2 levels, surface warming, and changes in atmospheric circulations and hydrologic cycles are found during both summer (JJA) and winter (DJF). For anthropogenic particles, changes in fine anthropogenic particulate matter (PM2.5, particles with diameters smaller than 2.5 μm) decrease over high-latitude regions and increase over the tropics in both DJF and JJA. Global mean column concentrations of PM2.5 decrease by approximately 0.19 mg m−2, and concentrations of coarse anthropogenic particles (CPM, particles with diameters larger than 2.5 μm) increase by 0.005 mg m−2 in JJA. Changes in anthropogenic particles in DJF are similar to those in JJA, but the magnitudes of maximum regional changes are much smaller than those in JJA. The coarse anthropogenic particles (CPM, particles with diameters larger than 2.5 μm) increase over northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula during JJA, whereas changes in anthropogenic CPM during DJF are minimal. During both JJA and DJF, changes in anthropogenic CPM are about two orders of magnitude smaller than those of anthropogenic PM2.5. Enhanced wet deposition by large-scale precipitation under rising CO2-induced surface warming is the critical factor affecting changes in anthropogenic particles. For natural particles, the distribution of change in the natural PM2.5 burden is similar to that of natural CPM, but much larger than natural CPM during each season. Both natural PM2.5 and CPM burdens increase over northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula during JJA, but decrease over most of the continental regions during DJF. Changes in surface wind speed, divergence/convergence of surface wind, and precipitation are primary reasons for the variation of natural particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early warning systems (EWS) facilitate societies' preparedness and effective response capabilities to climate risks. Climate risks embody hazards, exposure, and vulnerability associated with a particular geographical area. Building an effective EWS requires consideration of the factors above to help people with coping mechanisms. The objective of this paper is to propose an approach that can enhance EWSs and ensure an effective climate risk resilience development. The paper focuses on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and highlights the issues with EWS, identifying weaknesses and characteristics of EWS to help in climate risk adaptation strategies. The SADC region was chosen as the context because it is a climate variability and change hotspot with many vulnerable populations residing in rural communities. Trending themes on building climate risk resilience were uncovered through scientific mapping and network analysis of published articles from 2008 to 2022. This paper contributes to on-going research on building climate risks resilience through early warning systems to identify hidden trends and emerging technologies from articles in order to enhance the operationalization and design of EWS. This review provides insight into technological interventions for assessing climate risks to build preparedness and resilience. From the review analysis, it is determined that there exists a plethora of evidence to support the argument that involving communities in the co-designing of EWS would improve risk knowledge, anticipation, and preparedness. Additionally, Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies provide effective tools to address existing EWS' weaknesses, such as lack of real-time data collection and automation. However, 4IR technology is still at a nascent stage in EWS applications in Africa. Furthermore, policy across societies, institutions, and technology industries ought to be coordinated and integrated to develop a strategy toward implementing climate resilient-based EWS to facilitate the operations of disaster risk managers. The Social, Institutional, and Technology model can potentially increase communities' resilience; therefore, it is recommended to develop EWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space weather science has been a growing field in Africa since 2007. This growth in infrastructure and human capital development has been accompanied by the deployment of ground-based observing infrastructure, most of which was donated by foreign institutions or installed and operated by foreign establishments. However, some of this equipment is no longer operational due to several factors, which are examined in this paper. It was observed that there are considerable gaps in ground-based space-weather-observing infrastructure in many African countries, a situation that hampers the data acquisition necessary for space weather research, hence limiting possible development of space weather products and services that could help address socio-economic challenges. This paper presents the current status of space weather science in Africa from the point of view of some key leaders in this field, focusing on infrastructure, situation, human capital development, and the research landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of research is dedicated to the measurement of immigration trends and integration processes, but comparative studies of the components of immigrants' well-being are rare. This paper investigates the link between the length of stay and the subjective well-being (SWB) of immigrants. A step-by-step regression method is used to understand interactions between different individual- and macro-level factors in the life satisfaction of immigrants. The results of the European Social Survey (ESS) show that the effect of length of stay on SWB is mitigated by numerous individual- and country-level variables. After all background variables are considered, newly arrived immigrants and those who have been in the new country for more than 20 years had a similar life satisfaction to that of the local-born population. Immigrants with 10 to 20 years' experience in the country seem to have lower life satisfaction than the local-born population. The SWB of different immigrant groups is shaped by cultural background, economic coping, number of social contacts, perception of discrimination, and democracy. These factors influence the life satisfaction of migrants with different lengths of stay differently. The most vulnerable immigrant groups in Europe are those from Africa region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene and known to be a leading cause of inherited intellectual disability globally. It results in a range of intellectual, developmental, and behavioral problems. Fragile X premutation-associated conditions (FXPAC), caused by a smaller CGG expansion (55 to 200 CGG repeats) in the FMR1 gene, are linked to other conditions that increase morbidity and mortality for affected persons. Limited research has been conducted on the burden, characteristics, diagnosis, and management of these conditions in Africa. This comprehensive review provides an overview of the current literature on FXS and FXPAC in Africa. The issues addressed include epidemiology, clinical features, discrimination against affected persons, limited awareness and research, and poor access to resources, including genetic services and treatment programs. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the existing worldwide data for the diagnosis and treatment of fragile X disorders. This review will improve the understanding of FXS and FXPAC in Africa by incorporating existing knowledge, identifying research gaps, and potential topics for future research to enhance the well-being of individuals and families affected by FXS and FXPAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern African societies are presently beleaguered by manifold socio-economic, political, and environmental challenges. Ordinary people long for answers to questions about how to mitigate these challenges. Meanwhile, the Church mostly preaches the gospel and establishes and grows denominations across the world. Proclaiming the gospel in word is good; however, without demonstrating the gospel with transformational deeds, the Church remains Salvationist and partially missionary. Bearing in mind that the integral mission of the Church is advancing the gospel holistically, fractional mindfulness of the gospel, hearing the words without performing the corresponding deeds, is defacing its identity. Today, this situation is problematic and helpless, as society is in dire need of a wholesome Church that acts in accordance with its own faith and values and attends to the soul, the body, and all other facets of life. Much has been published about the integral mission of the Church, though little has been said about its role in social action. By qualitatively reviewing the literature and observing the Southern African context and some biblical examples, this paper finds the integral mission to be the predominant and comprehensive purpose of the existence of the Church. While the Church could be aware of its mandate, it should be reawakened so that it becomes a doer of the Word and stands out as the salt and light of the world by contributing to addressing the needs of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the determinants of fiscal space within the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region, utilising a panel of 33 countries from 2005 to 2021. The paper applied the panel threshold, difference, and system generalised method of moments (GMM) regression techniques. The empirical results found evidence of constrained fiscal space and poor governance in Central, Western, and Eastern Africa. The results further unveiled that an enhancement in governance indicators beyond −0.23 for the governance index, −0.15 for control of corruption, −0.98 for the rule of law, −0.37 for regulatory quality, −0.15 for voice and accountability, +0.36 for political stability, and −0.61 for government effectiveness, respectively, increase fiscal space. Moreover, the study concluded that the output gap, COVID-19, trade openness, and economic growth impact fiscal space availability in Central, Western, Southern, and Eastern Africa. The paper investigated whether the COVID-19 pandemic and governance quality significantly influenced fiscal space within SSA. We strongly recommend enhancement in all facets of governance through comprehensive restructuring of governance policies across all SSA countries. Another key recommendation is fostering trade openness to expand tax revenue generation and broaden the tax base, thereby providing the continent with greater fiscal space and improved resilience to unforeseen shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Decolonizing the mind" (Ngugi) is an ongoing task, even after 50 years or more of political independence. This is particularly the case with respect to theological education, where norms and structures still faithfully follow the Western pattern laid down in the colonial era. New initiatives in theological curriculum development that authentically connect with African issues and concerns and enable theological institutions to break from the shackles of these are an ongoing need, with developments on the African continent making such initiatives ever more urgent. This paper describes and analyzes the pioneering approach of the Akrofi-Christaller Institute (ACI), an indigenous Ghanaian institution, the background to its emergence and the process of implementation over the course of the past 25 years that has produced a successful, full-orbed and wide-ranging theological curriculum connecting with religious, cultural, social and inter-faith issues; the facilitating factors and the challenges on the journey and lessons that could be learned by other institutions wishing to indigenize their curricula. It is hoped that Kwame Bediako's thinking on curriculum design for theological education which has shaped the ACI story of curriculum innovation, as well as the story of its implementation and ongoing development, may provide a model for other institutions desirous of breaking free from the colonial mode, in Africa and beyond in the non-Western world, and facing similar issues. After briefly setting ACI in its historical context, the paper goes on to elucidate the overall vision of the Institute that undergirds the curriculum and provides the rationale for its development. It identifies the fundamental pillars on which the curriculum rests and outlines a model for the basic framework of the curriculum. It then goes on to analyze the ways in which such a vision and framework enable a fresh approach to what has hitherto been seen as normative in the theological disciplines, with a view to creating space in the curriculum to address present-day African (and other non-Western) felt needs in mission and ministry. The paper touches on more recent developments to the original curriculum in response to emerging contextual issues and concludes with possible lessons that may be learned from the ACI story. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital economy has revolutionized industries worldwide, prompting companies to invest in digital technologies to enhance productivity and profitability. However, the successful implementation of these technologies hinges on employees' perceptions and satisfaction with the digital infrastructure. This paper aims to explore the impact of digital technology satisfaction on overall job satisfaction within the fintech domain. Drawing from the User-Task-Technology fit framework, it investigates the interplay between digital technology satisfaction, job satisfaction, and work-life balance. By aligning technology with task requirements and individual user needs, organizations can foster a positive work environment and improve firm performance. The study employs Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify key requirements for the digital economy in a digital environment. Furthermore, it addresses two research questions related to the selection of variables representing sustainability dimensions and evaluating dependency in digital economy projects under a fintech scope. The findings highlight the importance of digital technology satisfaction in driving employee job satisfaction and overall work experience. Ultimately, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the factors influencing the digital economy and offers insights for managers and organizations seeking to optimize their digital transformation strategies. The study concludes by exploring the digital economy in the context of healthcare services in Africa, specifically focusing on the initiatives led by the World Bank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the analysis of the temperatures in a group of 36 African countries. By looking at the maximum, minimum and the range (the difference between the maximum and the minimum) and using a long memory model based on fractional integration and cointegration, we first show that all series display a long memory pattern, with a significant positive time trend in 29 countries for the maximum temperatures and in 33 for the minimum ones. Looking at the range, the estimated value for the order of integration is smaller than the one based on maximum or minimum temperatures in 17 countries. Performing fractional cointegration tests between the maximum and minimum temperatures, our results indicate that the two series cointegrate in the classical sense (i.e., with a short memory equilibrium relationship) in a group of 11 countries, and there is another group of eight countries displaying cointegration in the fractional sense. The remaining 17 countries with no evidence of cointegration are therefore at a very high risk of climate change due to the absence of long-term co-movement in their maximum and minimum temperatures. Findings in this paper are of tremendous interpretations and relevance for the analysis and climate projections in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planning for the eventual electrification of transport in sub-Saharan Africa requires accurate simulation of its unique transport systems. The few studies that attempt to model electric minibus taxis—vehicles extensively used in sub-Saharan Africa's public transport systems—vary greatly in their results. This paper analyses, compares and corrects the only two existing studies that project energy consumption of electric minibus taxis in the region. One of the studies projected an energy consumption of 0.39 kWh/km, while the other projected 0.93 kWh/km. This paper carefully analyses the simulation tools and models and cumulatively applies corrections from the literature and scientific analyses. As a result, the discrepancy between the two simulation tools is eliminated for a given data input and a final energy consumption is estimated in the range of 0.49–0.52 kWh/km, depending on the input data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, indigenous knowledge (IK) has been shown to be a critical factor in economic growth and sustainable development and is as important as scientific knowledge. However, when it comes to the African narrative, IK research still seems to fall short, even with the great recognition and interest it is attracting. IK has always been underprivileged and marginalized, treated as an unsubstantiated type of knowledge that cannot provide any scientific solutions. Consequently, the aim of this paper is to provide an insight into the importance of IK research from a comparative African perspective from 1990 to 2020. The paper used a combination of bibliometric analysis and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol to provide a comprehensive view of IK research. The VOSviewer software was used to provide a visualization of the bibliometric analysis through network maps. The findings suggest that while IK is a globally recognized concept, the African narrative is missing and not told by Africans. Most researched studies on IK in Africa are on ethnobotany, customs, traditions, agroforestry, and agriculture. Moreover, most of the IK research is from Southern Africa. There is a need for the integration of IK and scientific knowledge to develop well-informed approaches, methodologies, and frameworks that cater to indigenous communities and resilient ecological development. The research outcomes provide valuable insights for future research trends; they further highlight opportunities for building research partnerships for strengthening policy generation and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prosopis juliflora is a shrub/tree originating from the Americas. Since its introduction for fuel wood afforestation into eastern Africa, it has been invading crop- and rangelands with negative effects on the environment and on livelihoods. Understanding the management strategies for Prosopis and matching them with ecological, social-cultural, and economic needs of the eastern African region is a pressing scientific issue. We analyzed management strategies of Prosopis, focusing on determinants and drivers of their choice of applied management strategies as well as their effectiveness. We identified 1917 scientific contributions published between 1970 and 2022. Following a multi-step screening, we reduced the references to 53 relevant (internationally) published papers with a focus on the management of Prosopis in the east African region. Analysis of the literature shows that factors driving invasion dynamics but also land users' social-economic as well as cultural attributes determine the type of management strategy and shape local control actions. Main strategies comprise (1) physical containment of invasive spread, (2) chemical, mechanical and biological approaches to reduce stand densities, (3) complete eradication, (4) restoration of invaded land, and (5) economic use of Prosopis products. Adopted strategies are based on actual and perceived impacts of invasion, and the adoption and success of individual strategies is highly location specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria continues to be a major barrier to socioeconomic development in Africa, where its death rate is over 90%. The predictive power of many machine learning models—such as multi-linear regression (MLR), artificial neural networks (ANN), adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFISs) and Random Forest classifier—is investigated in this study using data from 2207 patients. The dataset was reduced from the initial dataset of thirty-two criteria samples to fifteen. Assessment measures such as the root mean square error (RMSE), mean square error (MSE), coefficient of determination (R2), and adjusted correlation coefficient R were used. ANFIS, Random Forest, MLR, and ANN are among the models. After training, ANN outperforms ANFIS (97%), MLR (92%), and Random Forest (68%) with the greatest R (99%) and R2 (99%), respectively. The testing stage confirms the superiority of ANN. The paper also presents a statistical forecasting sheet with few errors and excellent accuracy for MLR models. When the models are assessed with Random Forest, the latter shows the least results, thus broadening the modeling techniques and offering significant insights into the prediction of malaria and healthcare decision making. The outcomes of using machine learning models for precise and efficient illness prediction add to an expanding body of knowledge, assisting healthcare systems in making better decisions and allocating resources more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic and environmental processes present unique challenges for preserving cultural heritage in North Africa. Large parts of this region are characterised by unfavourable arid and semi-arid conditions and rapid changes to the landscapes caused by heightened regional development (e.g., urban expansion, road building, agricultural intensification, and socio-political conflicts). As a result, we are facing a fast-paced disappearance of heritage sites in regions that are still poorly understood. Following this, the utilisation of Earth observation data through aerial photographs and satellite imagery has emerged as an unmatched tool in the exploration of endangered archaeological heritage. Drawing on this context, this paper underscores the critical significance of incorporating digital research methods, such as remote sensing, GIS, or cartographic analysis, to ensure the evaluation and (digital) preservation of the historical sites along these vulnerable areas. Furthermore, our study seeks to provide new insights into data management and dissemination, fostering open research practices within North African archaeological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Biodiversity is not evenly distributed on Earth. For phytophagous insects, we could expect increasing taxonomic richness from temperate to tropical latitudes, where plant diversity is high. In this paper, we explored the variation in the number of genera in one of the most widespread groups of phytophagous insects, flea beetles, from north to south on the African continent. We found that the number of genera depends on the number of vegetation types, the kind of vegetation, and some specific bioclimatic variables, leading to an up-and-down trend in taxonomic richness from north to south. The distribution of global biodiversity can be investigated based on comprehensive datasets and many methods to process them. The taxonomic diversity of phytophagous insects is typically linked to plant diversity, which increases from temperate to tropical latitudes. In this paper, we explored the latitudinal distribution of the flea beetle genera (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini) on the African continent. We divided the area into latitudinal belts and looked for possible correlations with the number and types of vegetational divisions, the area of each belt, and the bioclimatic variables. The number of flea beetle genera is related to the number and types of vegetation divisions rather than the area of each belt. Some bioclimatic variables are highly related to the number of genera, which is higher within those belts where climate factors limit the oscillation of temperature over the year and favor high precipitations, especially in the warmest months. These biotic and abiotic factors lead to a two-peak trend in the taxonomic richness of flea beetle genera from north to south. Genera endemic to restricted areas are linked to the presence of high mountain systems and increase the taxonomic richness of the belt they belong to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the processes of racialization in Portuguese right-wing political movements through two prominent nationalist fanpages. It employs a mixed-methods approach that includes both quantitative and qualitative official data. The sample covers 72 months, from January 2017 to December 2020, encompassing a total of 3670 posts on Facebook. The main findings reveal that the fanpages utilize different discursive strategies, sometimes focusing on publishing static images and other times on sharing news links. From these publications, the fanpages garnered more than 1.4 million interactions, demonstrating consistent growth in their follower bases over the years. Emotional responses played a significant role in the interactions, particularly with Love, Sad, and Angry reactions standing out. The results also reveal that Portuguese nationalism maintains a dual ideology concerning race: ethno-exclusivism and ethno-pluralism. This observation affirms the dual nature of nationalist fanpages, where narrative elements converge and diverge based on the intended goal. Thus, individuals from Africa and Afro-descendants can be portrayed as both national heroes and social scum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a global threat that is better understood through global research spanning many regions, countries, and life-supporting ecosystems. This review focused on the bibliometric analysis of the distribution of a global research compendium on phytoplankton, an aquatic community that accounts for half of the carbon fixation in the global carbon cycle. A total of 716 primary research papers published in the immediate past decade (2012–2022) were reviewed. The articles were sampled from Web of Science and described field and laboratory experiments quantifying the impact of global climate change on phytoplankton from different climate zones (tropical, subtropical, temperate, subpolar, and polar) and ecosystems (freshwater, brackish, and marine). Analyses of these studies suggest that the bulk of the global research effort (80%) focused on high-latitude areas, and only a few (17%) were carried out in the tropics, largely led by four countries (Australia, Brazil, India, and Saudi Arabia), while Africa's contribution was minuscule (<1%). In terms of ecosystems, the majority (76%) of the research was in marine waters, irrespective of the climate zone. Analyses of these studies also highlighted widespread disparities in phytoplankton research in tropical aquatic ecosystems, particularly in Africa. Strategic investment in terms of targeted funding, institutional networks, and partnerships between the global north and global south are necessary to increase phytoplankton research across different ecosystems in the tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mother continent Africa is known for its various, multiple, and repeated instabilities, the rationale being the great hope and desire for the permanence, fixity, stability, lasting or enduring things that characterize human beings. Irrespective of how great and noble this hope and desire might be, one should admit that permanence or stability in life under the sun is against human nature, which for Qoheleth is הבל, that is, fleeting, transitory, brief, "not stable". The use of הבל applied to different areas of life draws attention to the fleetingness of human experience in the world compared to God's eternity. In Qoheleth's view, there is nothing eternal on Earth: everything is fleeting (הכל הבל). So is political power, which for Qoheleth is short-lived and unstable, whether oppressive or not. It is, therefore, the aim of this paper to explore the hermeneutical possibility of Qoheleth's use of הבל, which could be used to understand the political instability in African leadership. As such, this study calls attention to Qoheleth's use of הבל with a political focus. It reads the text against the context of the oppressive manipulative political control of the powerless, voiceless, and the downtrodden by the powerful in Qoheleth's society, which is no less in today's African society. Consequently, it proposes that a political reading of Qoheleth adds to its hermeneutical understanding, which then can become more meaningful to Africans in an oppressive and depriving social and political environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goals of a "restoration" programme are often not clearly defined, which may radically influence the course of the change effected by the "restoration". In this paper, I examine many restoration studies worldwide, the goals and the practice that was followed. Grasses often play an important role in both the succession and restoration processes. In Johannesburg, South Africa, wind-blown dust caused by gold mining was a problem in the early 20th century, so the goal was to stabilise the tailings. This was achieved by establishing vegetation on the dumps or revegetation of the land on which the tailings were deposited. Stabilisation of the Cape Flats was the goal in the late 19th century to allow easy movement along sandy roads in the region and marram grass was introduced from Europe specifically for this purpose. Revegetation with a different vegetation type is often a logical option where land use is of paramount importance. Replacement with crop plants or grasses is where the previous vegetation is replaced by an alternative land use that will be of benefit to the local people. The terms "rehabilitation" and "restoration" are often used interchangeably. Early researchers on the subject pointed out that rehabilitation is on the trajectory to full restoration or the original former state of the degraded site. In this review, the rehabilitation processes are discussed following dune mining in South Africa and at sites in Mozambique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homosexuality is a sensitive issue in Africa that inspires a great deal of public contention and controversy and attracts much social science research interest. Due to the sensitivity of the issue, conducting empirical research on homosexuality in Africa or within African population groups could be subject to several challenges. This article presents an autoethnographic account of my experiences conducting empirical research on attitudes towards homosexuality among Cameroonians based at home and those living in Switzerland. The paper highlights the key challenges, surprises, and lessons learned experienced in the different stages of the research process, from design to data collection, analysis, and publication of findings. Drawing on these experiences, the article calls attention to some aspects that young researchers embarking on research in sensitive topics should be aware of and should plan for upfront. It proposes practical coping approaches that can support young researchers to navigate the difficult waters of researching homosexuality in challenging settings so they can achieve their research goals within the timeframe and resources available to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown a possible link between women achieving some degree of economic independence through empowerment and a decline in gender-based violence (GBV). However, inadequate funding has been a major challenge in developing economies, while foreign aid has been seen as an alternative funding source. Foreign aid for promoting women's rights and gender equality is improving in African countries. Yet, according to official statistics, the frequency of GBV in Africa is among the highest in the world. Given this, this paper examines the impact of women's aid and institutional quality on factors that can reduce GBV using both cross-sectional autoregressive lags to investigate short- and long-run implications and the Panel Vector Correction Model to examine the shock effect of aid on other variables. Also, the mediating role of institutional quality and women's aid are considered. The metrics used for the factors that reduce GBV are female children out of school, the secondary school gender parity index, the genital mutilation prevalence rate, and the metrics for institutional quality are the rules of law and government effectiveness. The implications from the findings show that enhancing the legal structure is very important in Africa, given the low coefficient values to reduce discrimination against the right to education; more should be done to increase the enrolment of female students through the maximisation of women's aid in order to achieve the short- and long-term objectives of reducing gender violence. The findings also show that the rule of law significantly aids in the reduction of female genital mutilation in the short and long run; government effectiveness is insignificant. Also, they show that women's aid also reduces female genital mutilation, albeit at a low rate. The results of this study call for strong enhanced government support and funding to end the practice of female genital mutilation and discrimination against female education in the short and long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs dynamic panel models to investigate the impact of country risk on the financial stability of banks in Africa. Using country risk and bank specific data for 10 African countries over the period of 2000 and 2021, the results reveal that African countries have a high country risk exposure. The country risk negatively and significantly affects African bank stability. The study findings suggest that compliance with at least Basel II capital requirements is needed to protect African banks from the negative effects of country risk on their stability in the short run. However, the adverse effects of prolonged country risk are mitigated by the compliance with higher Basel capital requirements in the long run. The results further show that an efficient legal and regulatory framework is essential to complement the capital buffer against country risk. Policies must be introduced to reduce country risk to enable African banks to adequately support the African economy in good and challenging times. Overall, country risk remains a threatening factor for bank stability, and consequently, banks need adequate capital to reduce the impact of country risk on bank stability in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change significantly impacts global agricultural productivity. Therefore, a more dynamic farming system is needed to enable farmers to better adapt to climate change while contributing to efforts to produce enough food to feed the growing world population. In the context of climate change, this study analyzed the empirical scientific literature on the link between climate-smart agriculture and farm productivity. To evaluate the relevant articles, the authors used the search term "climate-smart agriculture amidst climate change to enhance agricultural production (CSA-CCAP)" to find studies published between 2009 and March 2022 using innovative bibliometric techniques. One hundred and sixteen published papers in BibTeX format were downloaded for further analysis. The most successful selected CSA approaches in Africa, such as in the Congo Basin forest, including sustainable land management practices, water-efficient maize hybrids, and others, aim to counteract climate change with signs of 200 percent output gains. The findings showed an annual growth rate of about 19%, demonstrating that research on CSA-CCAP expanded over time during the study period. Nonetheless, the research output on CSA-CCAP varied, with 2021 accounting for 30%, followed by 2020 with 16% as of March 2022. The study concluded that boosting agricultural productivity in the face of climate change may be accomplished through CSA to end hunger, eradicate poverty, and improve people's well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable utilization evaluation is the basis for ensuring the sustainable exploitation of fisheries' resources. This paper explores the changes in the mean trophic level of African marine fish catches during a 70-year period based on the statistical data on marine fisheries' catches in Africa from 1950–2019, provided by the FAO in, order to determine the sustainable utilization of Africa's fishery resources. The results indicate that although the marine fishery resources of African coastal countries have great variability, their exploitation has roughly gone through the stages of under-exploitation, rapid exploitation, and over-exploitation. Currently, marine fisheries in North and Central Africa are characterized by sustainable exploitation, while East, West, and Southern Africa are in a state of overfishing. The study implicates that African countries should establish a real-time monitoring system for marine fishery resources as soon as possible in order to dynamically grasp the actual changes in fish community structure due to fishing activities, ensure transparency in management and decision making, enact marine regulations to restrict massive fishing by overseas fleets, issue fisheries licenses cautiously, adopt conservative resource conservation policies, and enforce actions to achieve sustainable fisheries development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical evidence continues to show that climate change remains a threat to the stability of the hydrologic system. As the climate system interacts with the hydrologic cycle, one significant repercussion of global warming includes changes in water availability at both regional and local scales. Climate change adaptation is intrinsically difficult to attain due to the dynamic earth system and lack of a comprehensive understanding of future climate and its associated uncertainties. Mostly in developing countries, climate adaptation is hampered by scarcity of good quality and adequate hydro-meteorological data. This article provides a synopsis of the modelling chain applied to investigate the response of the hydrologic system under changing climate, which includes choosing the appropriate global climate models, downscaling techniques, emission scenarios, and the approach to be used in hydrologic modelling. The conventional criteria for choosing a suitable hydrological model are discussed. The advancement of emission scenarios including the latest Shared Socioeconomic Pathways and their role in climate modelling, impact assessment, and adaptation, are also highlighted. This paper also discusses the uncertainties associated with modelling the hydrological impacts of climate change and the plausible approaches for reducing such uncertainties. Among the outcomes of this review include highlights of studies on the commonly used hydrological models for assessing the impact of climate change particularly in the sub-Saharan Africa region and some specific reviews in southern Africa. Further, the reviews show that as human systems keep on dominating within the earth system in several ways, effective modelling should involve coupling earth and human systems models as these may truly represent the bidirectional feedback experienced in the modern world. The paper concludes that adequate hydro-meteorological data is key to having a robust model and effective climate adaptation measures, hence in poorly gauged basins use of artificial neural networks and satellite datasets have shown to be successful tools, including for model calibration and validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergillus spp. are ubiquitous and cause severe infections in immunocompromised patients. Less is known about its incidence and prognosis in patients with HIV/AIDS. We reviewed the mortality of invasive aspergillosis in HIV/AIDS patients. Pubmed, Embase and Medline databases were used to search for articles. Studies were excluded if they contained other aspergillosis risk factors, no original or patient survival data or were not in English. From 747 articles published, 54 studies and case reports were identified following reading, published between 1985 and 2021, with 54% papers prior to 2000 reporting 853 patients from 16 countries, none from Africa. 707 (83%) patients died with an average time from diagnosis to death of 77.5 days. Postmortem diagnosis was seen in 21% of deaths recorded. A national series from France of 242 cases of invasive aspergillosis diagnosed in life recorded a 3 month mortality of 68% pre-ART, falling to 31% after introduction of ART and voriconazole. CD4 count was recorded in 39 studies and ranged from 2 to >1000 cells/mm3; only 8 patients (1.8%) had a CD4 > 100 cells/mm3. Aspergillosis occurs in patients with HIV/AIDS and associated with high mortality but its slow progression should allow diagnosis and treatment with improved outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa is a particularly vulnerable continent to the effects of climate and environmental changes. Several tree planting projects were launched as one of the plausible solutions to climate action. This paper reviews the recent tree planting projects in African cities, initiated between 2009 to 2021, focusing on analyzing the expected benefits to the populations. Indeed, these projects have become a widespread instrument to promise planning solutions for many African countries given the expected improvements to mitigate air pollution, carbon sequestration, and the conditions of cities for the health and wellbeing of their citizens. The consequences of uncontrolled urbanization in Africa also stress the importance of better planning of green spaces. African cities should reconsider urban planning with a clear focus on the role of green infrastructures because of their extensive social benefits and supportive capacity for any significant sustainable development. While these projects seem to be a promising initiative and are expected to deliver beneficial ecosystem services to citizens, there are still some loopholes that this paper highlights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the Fourth Industrial revolution and digital transformation, the digital economy has grown substantially globally and in Africa. Despite the positive outcomes such as advancements in technology, improvements in business models and expansion in digital financial inclusion, negative implications include the erosion of tax bases due to the invisible nature of digital transactions. Although the digital economy is one of the biggest and quickest growing sectors in the African continent, its contribution to tax revenue is negligible. Developed and developing countries are grappling to find effective ways of mobilizing revenues from this hard to tax economy. African countries have turned to digital services taxes, value added taxes and withholding taxes in a bid to collect revenue from the digital economy to broaden their tax bases. There is intense debate among policymakers, governments, development bodies and tax bodies on the most effective way to tax the digital economy. Through a conceptual analysis based on a critical review of the literature, this article contributes to the ongoing debate by assessing the possibilities and constraints of taxing the digital economy in Africa using value added tax (VAT). The paper reviewed 55 articles, most of them current, published between 2014 and 2022, reflecting embryonic nature of the subject area. The findings on the opportunities include the existence of VAT regulation, increased revenue mobilization and efficiency gains, while challenges include ambiguities in legislation, capacity constraints and tax knowledge gaps. The implications of using VAT to collect tax from the digital economy encompass increased cost of digital services, decreased access, increased inequality and impediment on employment creation, poverty reduction, digital financial inclusion, and the realization of the sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate and other environmental factors continue to play important contributions on the livelihoods of communities all over the world. Their influence during historical periods and the roles they played remain under-reported. The main objective of this review is to investigate the climatological conditions during the time of the invasion of early European settlers in Southern Africa in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It establishes the possible relationships between climate variability and historical conflicts and wars, famines, disease pandemics, and the migration of African people to towns in search of sustainable and predictable livelihoods away from unreliable agriculture. A qualitative analysis of published peer reviewed literature in the form of reports, papers, and books was used in this review. At least 60 literature items were reviewed in this paper. There is a relationship between climate variability and the historical events of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Tribal conflicts and most of the wars between the settlers and the African people for land coincided with periods of droughts. Drought were key causes of famines, instabilities, and land degradation in the region. This study highlights the influence of environmental conditions on socio-economic conditions as the world enters an era of climate change and urbanization in developing countries, particularly in Africa. It shows that the hardships caused by environmental conditions have the potential to destabilize societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every society possesses systems for accessing, preserving, and transmitting its traditions. These are meant to ensure that privileged knowledge entrusted to reliable custodians is passed on unchanged between generations for the preservation of society. In Africa, scholars have advocated new hermeneutical approaches to the study of the Bible, arguing that the adoption of traditional methods of exegesis served as another instrument in the colonialists' toolkit to undermine the reception and preservation of Africa's sacred traditions. Using African Biblical Hermeneutics, this paper studies the processes for preserving Sacred Tradition in Psalm 40. Similar processes are found in African Indigenous Sacred Texts such as the mate masie of the Adinkra textual system. I argue, therefore, that a complementary reading of the texts of the two traditions could serve to de-link from the monocular vision of traditional exegesis and offer a much more fruitful approach to interpreting these texts and making them relevant to the contemporary African reader. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the impact of national governance quality on clean energy supplies in developing countries. We used a large sample of 103 developing countries over 21 years. We employ pooled ordinary least squares as the primary estimator. Additionally, we apply a Fixed Effect and the Two-Step System-Generalized Method of Moments to mitigate contemporaneity bias. Following prior studies, we construct national governance quality from the six World Governance Indicators. Consistent with our expectations, we find a positive and significant association between national governance quality and clean energy supplies. The results show that countries with high national governance quality are more likely to generate high amounts of clean energy than low-governed countries and to experience a high green economy. The results are also significant when the governance indicator is disaggregated into individual components. However, in a continental analysis, we found that the link between national governance quality and clean energy supplies is stronger in Africa than on other continents. Our results are robust to alternative measurements and econometric identification strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, a green hydrogen economy rush is underway, and many companies, investors, governments, and environmentalists consider it as an energy source that could foster the global energy transition. The enormous potential for hydrogen production, for domestic use and export, places Africa in the spotlight in the green hydrogen economy discourse. This discourse remains unsettled regarding how natural resources, such as land and water, can be sustainably utilized for such a resource-intensive project, and what implications this would have. This review argues that green hydrogen production (GHP) in Africa has consequences where land resources (and their associated natural resources) are concerned. It discusses the current trends in GHP in Africa, and the possibilities for reducing any potential pressures it may put on land and other resource use on the continent. The approach of the review is interpretive, and hinges on answering three questions, concerning the what, why, and how of GHP and its land consequences in Africa. The review is based on 41 studies identified from Google Scholar, and sources identified via snowballed recommendations from experts. The GHP implications identified relate to land and water use, mining-related land stress, and environmental, ecological, and land-related socioeconomic consequences. The paper concludes that GHP may not foster the global energy transition, as is being opined by many renewable energy enthusiasts but, rather, could help foster this transition as part of a greener energy mix. It notes that African countries that have the potential for GHP require the institutionalization of, or a change in, their existing approaches to land-related energy governance systems, in order to achieve success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the hypothesis that changes in hunting weapons during the Paleolithic were a direct response to a progressive decline in prey size. The study builds upon a unified hypothesis that explains Paleolithic human evolutionary and behavioral/cultural phenomena, including improved cognitive capabilities, as adaptations to mitigate declined energetic returns due to a decline in prey size. Five selected case studies in Africa and Europe were analyzed to test this hypothesis, focusing on the relative presence of megaherbivores (>1000 kg) in the transition between the Acheulean/Early Stone Age and the Middle Paleolithic/Middle Stone Age. The findings indicate a decline in megaherbivores' presence and biomass contribution in the studied transition period associated with the introduction of Levallois technology. We review the evolution of hunting weapons, including wooden-tipped and stone-tipped spears and bows and arrows. Analysis of tip size and breakage patterns indicate a reduction in point size over time, aligning with the declining prey size. We propose that changes in hunting weapons and strategies were driven by the practical and ontological incentives presented by the availability and size of prey. Developing smaller, more precise weapons required increased cognitive capacities, leading to the parallel evolution of human cognitive abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing technology is vital for precision agriculture, aiding in early issue detection, resource management, and environmentally friendly practices. Recent advances in remote sensing technology and data processing have propelled unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into valuable tools for obtaining detailed data on plant diseases with high spatial, temporal, and spectral resolution. Given the growing body of scholarly research centered on UAV-based disease detection, a comprehensive review and analysis of current studies becomes imperative to provide a panoramic view of evolving methodologies in plant disease monitoring and to strategically evaluate the potential and limitations of such strategies. This study undertakes a systematic quantitative literature review to summarize existing literature and discern current research trends in UAV-based applications for plant disease detection and monitoring. Results reveal a global disparity in research on the topic, with Asian countries being the top contributing countries (43 out of 103 papers). World regions such as Oceania and Africa exhibit comparatively lesser representation. To date, research has largely focused on diseases affecting wheat, sugar beet, potato, maize, and grapevine. Multispectral, reg-green-blue, and hyperspectral sensors were most often used to detect and identify disease symptoms, with current trends pointing to approaches integrating multiple sensors and the use of machine learning and deep learning techniques. Future research should prioritize (i) development of cost-effective and user-friendly UAVs, (ii) integration with emerging agricultural technologies, (iii) improved data acquisition and processing efficiency (iv) diverse testing scenarios, and (v) ethical considerations through proper regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eastern Africa is home to strikingly beautiful landscapes, unique wildlife and exotic cultural heritage that create outstanding tourism appeal. Unfortunately, these attractive features do not always translate to high tourism revenues. This paper focuses on analyzing the relationships between tourism performance indicators—arrivals, revenues and the revenue-based revealed comparative advantage (RCA)—and compare them to the components of destination facilities and endowments measured by the Tourism and Travel Competitiveness Index (TTCI). The analysis concentrates on Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, using secondary data from 2005 to 2017. The methodology applies correlation analysis and panel regression. As the results show, the TTCI and RCA are negatively correlated, but the components of the TTCI have different relationships to the RCA. Natural heritage positively influences the RCA, while cultural resources do not. The higher RCA values are also enhanced by better tourism services and better ground travel infrastructure. Similar analyses have been performed for Europe and some Asian countries, but not for Eastern Africa. The novelty of the present research is the fact that natural heritage resources can contribute considerably to tourism revenues, while cultural resources are not utilized to their full potential in terms of tourism success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Spring in Europe has been trending earlier for almost half a century. Long-distance migrant birds, such as the Willow Warbler and Pied Flycatcher, which breed in Europe, have arrived earlier too. It is broadly accepted that warming springs in temperate regions explain the earlier arrival of migrants. However, migration started weeks earlier and thousands of kilometres away. There must be additional cues elsewhere triggering migration. Meteorologists have developed measures of atmospheric circulation which are related to climate variability in wide regions. One of them is the Southern Oscillation Index, which reflects El Niño/La Niña that cause droughts and floods in the southern hemisphere. Other atmospheric circulation patterns, measured by the North Atlantic Oscillation Index and Indian Ocean Dipole, help predict total rainfall for a whole season in various parts of Africa and Europe. Good rains are associated with plant growth and with insect abundance. Insects provide food for most of these migrants. Therefore, this paper asks the question: "Is the timing of arrival of long-distance migrants in spring related to the climates they experience in the places where they are over the year prior to arrival in Europe?" This paper says the answer is "Yes". Earlier springs in temperate regions since the 1980s, attributed to climate change, are thought to influence the earlier arrival of long-distance migrant passerines. However, this migration was initiated weeks earlier in Africa, where the Southern Oscillation, Indian Ocean Dipole, North Atlantic Oscillation drive climatic variability, and may additionally influence the migrants. Multiple regressions investigated whether 15 indices of climate in Africa and Europe explained the variability in timing of arrival for seven trans-Saharan migrants. Our response variable was Annual Anomaly (AA), derived from standardized mistnetting from 1982–2021 at Bukowo, Polish Baltic Sea. For each species, the best models explained a considerable part of the annual variation in the timing of spring's arrival by two to seven climate variables. For five species, the models included variables related to temperature or precipitation in the Sahel. Similarly, the models included variables related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (for four species), Indian Ocean Dipole (three), and Southern Oscillation (three). All included the Scandinavian Pattern in the previous summer. Our conclusion is that climate variables operating on long-distance migrants in the areas where they are present in the preceding year drive the phenological variation of spring migration. These results have implications for our understanding of carry-over effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic (Coronavirus disease 2019) remains problematic in all its manifestations on the global stage where countless events of human-to-human exposure have led to fatal cases; thus, the aftermath being an unprecedented public health concern, with inaccessible health care and the instability of economies and financial institutions. These pose massive obstacles that can insatiably devour existing human resources causing negative impacts, especially in developing countries. Tracking the origin, dissemination and mutating strains of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) on population-wide scales is a somewhat overwhelming task, with the urgent need to map the dissemination and magnitude of SARS-CoV-2 in near real-time. This review paper focuses on the poor sanitation of some waterbodies and wastewater management policies in low-income African countries, highlighting how these contribute to the COVID-19 pandemic on the continent. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic, there has been an upsurge in scientific literature and studies concerning SARS-CoV-2 with different opinions and findings. The current paper highlights the challenges and also summarizes the environmental aspects related to the monitoring and fate of the SARS-CoV-2 genomes in the aquatic milieu of Sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unavailability of a constant power supply has been a major problem in remote communities in Africa as it impedes the proper operation of healthcare facilities in these locations. This has deprived inhabitants of free access to good healthcare services, thereby resulting in an increase in maternal and child mortality rates in rural communities in Africa. Therefore, in order to address this problem and render a life-saving intervention for rural dwellers and to also improve their healthcare service delivery, this paper focuses on the optimal configuration of a hybrid energy system for the rural electrification of community healthcare facilities. It presents an analysis of an off-grid hybrid energy system comprised of diesel generators, wind turbines and solar PV with a battery storage system to meet the energy demand of healthcare facilities in a remote community in Nigeria. In this study, hybrid energy systems are considered owing to the high reliability and availability of the intensity of solar radiation and wind speeds in Nigeria. An optimization model was developed which seeks to minimize the operational cost of hybrid energy systems. The proposed model was implemented using four case studies and solved using algebraic modeling language. The results obtained from the sensitivity analysis indicate that the configuration that includes solar PV, wind turbines, a battery storage system and a diesel generator provides the optimum power required for a rural healthcare center with a suitable energy cost and emission reduction from the system of diesel generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, humans have been confronted with numerous pest species, with the desert locust being one of the most damaging and having the greatest socio-economic impact. Trying to predict the occurrence of such pests is often complicated by the small number of records and observations in databases. This paper proposes a methodology based on a combination of classification and regression techniques to address not only the problem of locust sightings prediction, but also the number of locust individuals that may be expected. For this purpose, we apply different machine learning (ML) and related techniques, such as linear regression, Support Vector Machines, decision trees, random forests and neural networks. The considered ML algorithms are evaluated in three different scenarios in Western Africa, mainly Mauritania, and for the elaboration of the forecasting process, a number of meteorological variables obtained from the ERA5 reanalysis data are used as input variables for the classification–regression machines. The results obtained show good performance in terms of classification (appearance or not of desert locust), and acceptable regression results in terms of predicting the number of locusts, a harder problem due to the small number of samples available. We observed that the RF algorithm exhibited exceptional performance in the classification task (presence/absence) and achieved noteworthy results in regression (number of sightings), being the most effective machine learning algorithm among those used. It achieved classification results, in terms of F-score, around the value of 0.9 for the proposed Scenario 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional climate change is affected by global warming, large-scale inter-regional circulation, and land use/cover. As a result of different ecological, economic, and social conditions, climate adaptation actions vary from region to region, including community-based adaptation in small island developing states, enhancing flood resilience in Europe, weather index insurance promotion in Africa, climate change adaptation based on traditional knowledge in the Polar Regions, and global joint decision-making in terms of regional issues of the Ocean. This paper takes the above five typical cases as the research objects, and the multi-case comparative research method is adopted to discuss regional climate change adaptation based on the pressure–state–response framework. It found that: (1) regional climate change adaptation faces significant pressure from cross-regional flows of finance, population, and species under climate change; (2) climate change hotspot maps based on climate change projections show regional climate vulnerability; (3) responses for regional climate change adaptation require active promotion of multi-level governance with horizontal and vertical cooperation. In the future, regional climate change adaptation should focus on inter-regional climate justice and equality, regional climate change adaptation pathways optimization, and how to effectively learn from typical regional climate adaptation cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]