Locally relevant and aligned with national priorities

During the first six months of the research project, Dr Mwaijengo conducted field surveys, sampling, and data collection in the Lake Manyara catchment. She completed Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with stakeholders, conducted a comprehensive literature review, and is developing a manuscript (position paper) on Schistosomiasis and Climate Change in Tanzania.

Dr Grite Mwaijengo conducts a Key Informant Interview with the Manyara District Health Officer.

Project activities are advancing according to plan in several key areas, and data collected include water quality parameters, habitat characteristics, land cover/use, climate variables (precipitation and temperature), and biodiversity indicators.

KIIs with stakeholders in the Lake Manyara Catchment focused on local water use, sanitation practices, and community knowledge of and experience with schistosomiasis.

Laboratory analysis of collected samples for water quality and biodiversity indicators is ongoing. Secondary data analysis, integrating climate datasets with historical schistosomiasis occurrence records, is ongoing. She has compiled a comprehensive eco-hydrological dataset for the Lake Manyara catchment, containing field measurements on water quality, habitat, land cover, climate, and biodiversity.

Some numbers:

• 25+ Distinct sampling sites visited for water, habitat, and biodiversity.

• 60+ Environmental and biological samples collected.

• 60+ Academic papers and reports synthesised in the ongoing literature review.

• 10 Key Informant Interviews completed with local leaders, health workers, and environmental officers.

• 10+ Years of historical climate and health data being integrated for trend analysis.

Dr Grite Mwaijengo and her team do sampling in Lake Manyara.

Dr Mwaijengo consulted with government officials, the Basin Water Board, and district health offices. These consultations ensured that stakeholders were informed early of the project and that the methods were locally relevant and aligned with national priorities. She participated in the Annual Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) Climate Outlook Forum, which was crucial for understanding national climate projections and for networking with climate scientists.

Dr Grite Nelson Mwaijengo reporting on her research project: Integrated Framework for Sustainable Schistosomiasis Control in a Changing Climate.

Edited by Heidi Sonnekus & Leti Kleyn for the FAR-LeaF programme.