The Centre for Science and Technology Innovation (CSTI) is a UNESCO associated centre based at the Kenya National Academy of Sciences. We have been operating since 1998.

CSTI Mission: Improving life through science, technology and innovation.

Major Achievements Include:
Vulnerability and adaptation to malaria and cholera in the Lake Victoria Basin have been studied. The following papers summarize the findings:

• Vulnerability to epidemic malaria in the highlands of Lake Victoria basin: the role of Climatic Change/variability, hydrology and socio-economic factors. Climatic Change. 2009.
  In press.
• Climatic, Socio-economic and Health Factors Affecting Human Vulnerability to Cholera in the Lake Victoria Basin, East Africa.
  Ambio. 36(4): 350-358 2007.
• Adaptation to Climatic Change - induced malaria and cholera in the Lake Victoria region.
  AIACC Working Paper No. 43 October 2006. www.aiaccproject.org
• Preparing for Climatic Change in Kenya: Early outcome of the project "Increasing resilience to drought in Makueni District" is on-going and its achievements are outlined in the next section. [Read Documentation]

Strengthening Community-Based Adaptation to Climate-Sensitive Malaria in Kakamega and Kericho Districts, Western Kenya Highlands
Our project brings together stakeholders in the highlands of western Kenya using innovative participatory and networking methods to enable and support effective adaptation decisions that reduce vulnerability to climate-sensitive epidemic malaria, while also promoting sustainable development. Stakeholders comprise the subsistence farming community at risk, health service providers, NGOs, environmental health scientists, government health policy makers, and donors.

Microscience teaching and learning materials and kits.
The practical experimentation using micro science kits for chemistry, electricity, magnetism and water chemistry have been introduced to students and staff at the primary, secondary and early university education levels in Kenya Uganda and Zanzibar.

Strengthening Community-Based Adaptation to Climate-Sensitive Malaria in Kakamega and Kericho Districts, Western Kenya Highlands
Our project brings together stakeholders in the highlands of western Kenya using innovative participatory and networking methods to enable and support effective adaptation decisions that reduce vulnerability to climate-sensitive epidemic malaria, while also promoting sustainable development. Stakeholders comprise the subsistence farming community at risk, health service providers, NGOs, environmental health scientists, government health policy makers, and donors.

Micro-science teaching and learning materials and kits.
The practical experimentation using micro science kits for chemistry, electricity, magnetism and water chemistry have been introduced to students and staff at the primary, secondary and early university education levels in Kenya Uganda and Zanzibar.

The aims of the Center are:

• To promote innovation in science teaching at the secondary and tertiary education levels through the incorporation of new trends in science.


• To enhance the transfer of science and technology research results to distressed communities for economic development.
• To promote constructive linkages between science and industry, for the enhancement of economic development.
• To promote the effective use of science and technology in the food production process.
• To facilitate initiative to achieve greater efficiency, through the adoption of good scientific principles, in the provision of various categories of services.
• To promote the use of information and communication technologies in the transfer of science and technology.
• To collaborate with other centres with similar objectives and aims.
• To act as broker of knowledge and skills between researcher/research institution and end-users including policy makers.
• To perform any other duty furthering the development, promotion and dissemination of science and technology.

For the complete collection of CSTI publications and downloads click here >>>

Area: South-Central Kenya, Makueni District

The area has contrasts between the low-lying, sparsely populated grasslands in its southern reaches, the volcanic Chyulu Hills along its southwest border, and the more densely populated, resource-rich rolling hills found in its north.
In this mainly semi-arid district, rainfall patterns are highly variable in terms of their onset and duration. Drought and food insecurity are always a worry. A swelling population, land fragmentation and the migration of people into the sparser, drier lowlands, all contribute to Makueni's considerable vulnerability to current climate variability and long-term climate change.

Main highlights of the project are;

• Downscaling climate forecasts to guide the choice of crops planted and the timing of agricultural activities
• Improving agronomic practices by providing access to fast maturing and drought-resistant crop varieties
• Building sand dams, shallow boreholes and drip irrigation systems to improve access to water for use in crop production
• Increasing local self-help groups' access to income-diversification activities. [Read Documentation]

Review Of Rainfall During The 'Long Rains' (March To May) 2009 Season and The Outlook For The June-July-August (JJA) 2009 Period

Summary:

The 'Long Rains' (March to May) season in 2009 has ended over most parts of the country. As per the prediction, the performance of the season over most parts of the country was generally poor. This poor performance was depicted both in terms of amounts and distribution (both in time and space) of the rainfall especially over the northern, coastal and southeastern parts of the country. Most meteorological stations in these areas recorded rainfall that was below 60 percent of the Long-Term Means (LTMs) of March to May. However, stations like Voi (in southeastern lowlands) and Wajir (in northeastern areas) managed to record slightly over 70% of their seasonal LTMs rainfall in less than 5 days. Despite a late onset of the season, the western parts of the country recorded significant rainfall amounts that were also well distributed and resulted to floods and even loss of lives and destruction of property in some areas like the Kano plains in Lake Victoria Basin.

Advancing Capacity to support Climate Change Adaptation (ACCA)

Strengthening Community-Based Adaptation to Climate-Sensitive Malaria in Kakamega and Kericho Districts, Western Kenya Highlands

Our project brings together stakeholders in the highlands of western Kenya using innovative participatory and networking methods to enable and support effective adaptation decisions that reduce vulnerability to climate-sensitive epidemic malaria, while also promoting sustainable development.
The main research activity involves two complimentary components:

1. The science component: The acquisition of data and pooling of knowledge to create a contextualized systems model of climate-sensitive malaria in Kakamega and Kericho, including the identification of hotspots and unstable areas prone to epidemics, assessment of existing capacity among stakeholders, and the malaria implications of downscaled climate-change scenarios.
2. The policy component: To identify possible adaptation strategies that target system drivers (including risk communication methods and materials), compare them using multiple criteria, select the most sustainable alternatives for the context, and implement priority actions.

In addition, we will develop and apply indicators to monitor and evaluate the performance of the overall project and pre- versus post-adaptation intervention, including the pilot work's utility to inform a Regional Community-Based Malaria Intervention Strategy.
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Main factor that causes livelihood vulnerability in the project area is inappropriate farming methods caused by:- Inadequate knowledge by some farmers on appropriate crop varieties; Limited access to quality seed (most of dry land crop varieties are not commercially available).

In addition, prices of the available seeds are relatively high and this limits access to quality seed. Limited knowledge on appropriate crop husbandry practices including effective use of climate and weather information.
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• Participation in, and ownership of projects by local communities is vital if it is to be sustained beyond the lifecycle of the project and also for it to have the potential of been replicated in other ASAL districts.
• Self-help and “merry-go-round” groups identified as one of the key entry points in entrenching ownership and sustainability of project.
• Over 60 self helps groups in Sakai sub-location and usual rivalries among Community based-organization (CBOs) also exists.
• Therefore process by which groups are selected must be done in participatory and democratic manner.