Academic literature on the topic 'Environmental policy – Zambia'

Rates of time preference (RTPs) of rural households in Indonesia, Zambia and Ethiopia have been measured using hypothetical questions about preferences for current versus future consumption. In general, the rates were found to be very high. Factors influencing or correlated with the personal rates of time preference were investigated through regression methods. OLS was the technique used in the estimation. Market imperfections, particularly in credit and insurance markets lead to variation in RTPs. Poverty in assets, or cash liquidity constraints, was leading to or correlated with higher rates of time preference. The poor are, therefore, less likely to invest in environmental conservation. In Zambia, independent estimates of risk preferences were made. More risk-averse people tended to have lower RTPs. The results support the hypothesis that poverty and/or liquidity scarcity lead to high RTPs. Poverty reduction may thus reduce the RTPs of the poor and reduce the 'intertemporal externality' due to high RTPs. The high average RTPs indicate, however, that complementary policies may be needed to ensure sufficient levels of investment in conservation. Another logical implication is that institutionalization of private property rights may not be a sufficient tool to initiate sustainable resource management.

Objectives This study aims to overcome some of the limitations of previous studies investigating the effects of fee removal, by looking at heterogeneity of effects within countries and over time, as well as the existence of spillover effects on groups not targeted by the policy change. Methods Using routine district health services data before and after recent abolitions of user charges in Zambia and Niger, we examine the effects of the policy change on the use of health services by different groups and over time, using an interrupted timeseries design. Results Removing user fees for primary health care services in rural districts in Zambia and for children over five years old in Niger increased use of services by the targeted groups. The impact of the policy change differed widely across districts, ranging from 112% and 1194% in Niger to 239% and 1108% in Zambia. Eighteen months after the policy change, some of these effects had been eroded. There was evidence that abolishing user fees can both have positive and negative spillover effects. Conclusion These results highlight the importance of paying attention to implementation challenges and monitoring the effects of policy reforms which are often more mixed and complicated that they appear. The comparison of these reforms in two countries also sheds light on the potentially different ways in which free care can be used as a tool to improve access.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between entrepreneurs’ personal values and corporate social responsibility (CSR) orientations among small- and medium-sized enterprises in a developing country, Zambia. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through questionnaires. Two linear regression models were used to test the hypotheses. Findings Self-transcendence values have a significant positive influence on socially oriented CSR but do not influence environmentally oriented CSR. Self-enhancement values do not affect social and environmental CSR orientations. Conservation values have a marginally positive influence on environmentally oriented CSR but no influence on socially oriented CSR. Finally, openness to change has a significant positive influence on environmentally orientated CSR but no influence on socially oriented CSR. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this study relates to the sector from which the sample was drawn, other predictors of CSR orientations, use of cross-sectional data, and the replication of this study to validate its findings. Practical implications The findings inform policy-makers, scholars, educators, and regulators on the importance of aligning personal values with environmental and social concerns, thereby influencing entrepreneurs’ CSR orientations for the well-being of society and the natural environment. Originality/value This paper shows the influence of personal values on CSR orientations among entrepreneurs in a hardly researched Sub-Saharan Africa country.

The study drew inspiration from the need to counteract the ensuing failures of modern systems in addressing development challenges especially at local level despite several efforts by government to invest resources in poverty reduction and general developmental interventions. The study identified the alienation of indigenous knowledge systems in the mainstream modern systems of Environmental Education (EE) and development planning as a compounding problem that accounted for development stagnation in the communities. This alienation created the gap in knowledge since modern systems were generally found to be inadequate in addressing developmental issues, particularly at a local level. The lack of local relevance of most modern systems justified the call for integration of indigenous systems. The study focused on the need to establish linkages between the modern and indigenous systems of environmental education and their influence on development planning in Zambia. In so doing, the study proposed an approach to remedy the alienation of indigenous systems in the mainstream processes of EE and development planning by suggesting a synergy between the two systems. The study involved an assessment of some inherent policies, strategies, processes, methodologies and perceptions about EE and development planning. It, therefore, largely dealt with non- concrete ideas to which the reader is introduced. This point is crucial in appreciating the main orientation of the study. Descriptive research design was applied with qualitative approaches. The respondents were purposively sampled and included government officers and other modern experts, NGOs, and traditional leaders. A comparative analysis of modern systems was further made through a global dimension where the Zambian modern system and that of selected foreign countries, Germany and Montenegro were reviewed. The study established that the approaches applied in environmental education and general nature conservation were related to the country’s guiding principles which also reflected the overall vision, where it existed. Furthermore, a number of environmental policy instruments were examined and the following were identified as the main instruments: Direct regulation, Indirect regulation, Self-regulation, and A combination of the above instruments. Proposed Synergies Between Indigenous and Modern Systems of Environmental Education From the study results, differences in perceptions of and approaches to environmental education were evident at both country and individual levels. For instance, while in Zambia, environmental education was a school subject, in Germany it was not but its ideals were generally incorporated in the teaching of all subjects. In Montenegro, too, there was no school subject called environmental education but the concept had greatly influenced the school curriculum such that emphasis was put on environmental content in all the subjects, focusing more on human-nature relationships. The study also showed that direct regulation had been prioritised in Zambia compared to self-regulation and this had a bearing on public participation in development decision-making processes which are largely carried out in the planning cycles. Varying perceptions were also identified at individual level among the modern experts interviewed both in Zambia and those from other countries. However, existing opportunities for synergy formulation at all levels were identified and based on these a synergy was suggested. Arising from the above observations the study recommended, among other things, that the modern systems should adopt a broadened approach that promotes direct contact with nature from a multi-dimensional perspective. This would also call for curriculum and planning systems review to create an enabling education policy and planning framework that would provide practical support to such an approach. The promotion of culture, which was identified as a storage device for indigenous knowledge, was also recommended to be prioritised.

This paper starts from the perspective that resource management approaches are based upon a body of environmental knowledge. By analysing fisheries management in Mweru-Luapula, Zambia, I argue that this body of environmental knowledge has 1) remained largely unchanged throughout the recent shift to co-management and 2) is to a great extent based upon general paradigmatic conventions with regard to common property regimes. The article outlines the historical trajectories of both resource management and the political ecology of Mweru-Luapula's fishing economy. Using a relational perspective – by looking at interaction of the local fishing economy with external developments, but also by examining socioeconomic relations between individual actors – this article exposes constraints and incentives within the local fishing economy that are not absorbed in the current co-management regime. These findings challenge both policy goals and community-based resource management itself. I argue that governance of small-scale fisheries – in order to close the gap between locally based understandings, policy and legislation – should always be built upon all dimensions (social, economic, ecological, and political) that define a fisheries system.Keywords: co-management, common-property resource management, political ecology, Mweru-Luapula fishery, Zambia.

Zambia recently changed its treatment policy for malaria from the failing chloroquine to the more effective artemisinin combination therapy (ACT). A study was conducted to find out if the community accepted the new treatment policy, as a prediction of its success. Following high levels of acceptability, it was not surprising to see high levels of compliance and subsequent reduction in cases of severe malaria and deaths.

Most sub-Saharan African (SSA) nations are governed by traditional economic models of using varied varieties of capital (including human), technological and natural approaches to supply goods and services. This has undoubtedly led to annual economic growth of about 3.2% in several African nations and higher per capita income as some of the major benefits, which have improved the standards of living and social wellbeing but conjointly have led to environmental degradation. In response to the environmental degradation problem, while benchmarking against international policies, this article evaluates approaches to economic development, environmental management, and energy production in the context of climate change. Case studies consider the mine-dependent nations of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the agriculture-dependent nation of Rwanda. In Zambia and DRC, energy efficiency in the mining and metals industries could increase the electrification rate in Zambia and DRC by up to 50%. Additional industrial utilization of solar or wind energy is key to a stable energy supply, economic development and environmental protection. In Rwanda, population growth and land constraints point to economic growth and agricultural improvements as the key to sustainability and sustainable development. These case studies emphasize resource optimization, energy efficiency, renewable energy deployment, strategies to reduce biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, and the improvement of social wellbeing for both present and future generations to achieve an ecologically enhanced sub-Saharan Africa.

In an article in Water Policy (Merrett, Water Policy 7(2), 2005), the author presented a general theory on the likelihood of catchments moving from surplus to deficit in terms of their precipitation's adequacy to meet social, economic and environmental flows. The paper called for networked, international research to test the general theory and its causal hypotheses. The paper presented below applies the theory to the Kafue Basin in Zambia and suggests that understanding river basin surpluses and deficits requires the analysis of various measures of catchment density.

SummaryData from a study of teenage sexual activity among secondary school girls show the need for a sex education policy as a first step in controlling teenage fertility in Zambia. A large proportion of teenage females enter into close relationships with males at young ages and a high proportion of young females have engaged in sexual intercourse. Most of these sexually active females do not use family planning methods even though a large proportion of them have heard of modern methods. The teenagers receive very little sex education from their parents and a modern institutional sex education programme is needed.

Bibliography: leaves 183-189.
This study is primarily aimed at examining the impact of World Bank / IMF, structural adjustment programmes in the SADC region. However, the main focus of the study was on Zimbabwe and Zambia. These World Bank / IMF-influenced perestroikas, are believed to be viable panacea, for the state of economic malaise prevalent in the SADC region. In undertaking this research, various methods were utilised to acquire data. A case study approach was used. However, the main method of data collection which was heavily relied upon was document study. The collected data was analysed and presented in both graphical and tabular form. This study, inter alia, established that the implementation of IMF / WB structural adjustment programmes in the SADC region has precipitated a plethora of insurmountable socio-economic problems for the citizenry of both Zimbabwe and Zambia. Furthermore, the research has revealed that IMF / WB influenced structural adjustment programmes have culminated in large-scale unemployment, retrenchments, an acute decline in educational and health standards, ever-skyrocketing food prices, rents, taxes, mass exodus of qualified human resources to greener pastures, big debts, inflation and labour strikes in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

This dissertation comprises two components. Component A consists of background to the research and includes the problem statement, aim and objectives. It also includes the literature review, which provides details on the concept of community-based natural resources management (CBNRM) and its benefits as a participatory approach adopted in the management of natural resources. Component B is presented as a research paper that complies with the requirements of the selected journal for purposes of publication shown in appendix I. Relevant information on the purpose of the study and background to the concept of CBNRM from component A is included in component B for purposes of the research paper. It also includes research findings, analysis and conclusions of the study. CBNRM has been identified as a feasible participatory approach to natural resources management based on community needs and priorities. This research reviews the implementation of the Community Environmental Management Programme (CEMP) as a participatory approach adopted by the Zambian Government to address growing environmental concerns, with particular reference to deforestation, as a result of human activities. This study focuses on Luansobe settlement in Mufulira district, one of eight districts in which the CEMP is being implemented as a pilot project. Luansobe is located in the peri-urban area of Mufulira. The majority of the people living in the area are unemployed and live below the poverty datum line. These people are largely dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods. Unfortunately, some of the activities people are engaged in are having adverse impacts on the resources, in particular forest resources. The main sources of livelihoods are charcoal production and subsistence farming, which are contributing greatly to the deforestation of the surrounding Nsato Forest Reserve. The CEMP is intended to set up institutional structures at national, district and community levels to address the problem of deforestation and the related poverty levels. This is under the premise that this situation can be improved with good management and community involvement. The study reviewed literature on the concept of CBNRM with particular reference to co-management as one form of a participatory approach with shared responsibility on the management of natural resources between government and local communities. The significance of community involvement in the use and management of forest resources is highlighted. The factors necessary for the effective implementation of joint management programmes are also highlighted and their importance in achieving conservation, community development and good governance. A case study was reviewed to show the importance of these indicators to the successful implementation of such participatory programmes. A list of indicators was compiled as the basis for the assessment of the implementation of the CEMP. A review of government documents provided background information on the establishment of the CEMP, the need for its implementation in Luansobe and the structures put in place at national, district and community levels to implement the programme. These data were supplemented by information gathered through semi-structured interviews with purposively selected key informants and workshops with local community members. Information obtained showed that the institutional structures implementing the CEMP on the ground are different from those set out in documents and are deficient of communication links among the stakeholders, especially community members. This has had negative effects on the representativeness of decisions made regarding the implementation of the programme and accountability of leaders to community members. This has further affected the implementation of projects under the CEMP intended to improve people's livelihoods through alternative sources of income that promote the sustainable use of forest resources.
Thesis (M.Sc.)- University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

This dissertation seeks to expose through a systemic approach the complexity and centrality of governance in community-based natural resource management (CBNRM). This is premised on the hypothesis that an appreciation of this complexity and of drawing analytic distinctions between governance and management is necessary for successful interventions. The study adopts community-based environmental governance (CBEG) as the core heuristic variable in a conceptual framework for analysing CBNRM. The application of this framework generates empirical evidence concerning CBNRM processes adopted in the Kafue Flats socio-biophysical system. It is illustrated that CBNRM processes are established and implemented in a complex context. It is observed that social actors on the Kafue Flats usually do not constructively understand and appreciate this complexity. Several examples are demonstrated in which the thinking and actions of these actors reflect a limited conceptual framework of systems thinking and the inherent complexity in CBNRM. It is illustrated that these actors do not appreciate that CBNRM is a significant component of the governance of natural resource utilisation. This lack of appreciation is essentially identified as a contributing factor to poor performance. Ultimately, CBNRM processes are not only about sustainable use of natural resources; but also the nature and quality of relationships amongst social actors in CBEG. By drawing attention to these relationships, this study broadens our understanding of what goes into CBNRM processes. The implications of ignoring these relationships can be detrimental to the success of CBNRM. Accordingly, the establishment of productive CBNRM systems depends on how firmly CBEG issues and concerns are incorporated into CBNRM analyses and operations. Evidently, CBNRM cannot be pragmatically pursued in rigid socio-biophysical settings. It requires systemic and structural changes in the socio-political, economic and cultural mechanisms of CBEG. Thus, all cooperating partners, governments included, should accept that CBEG and CBNRM are inseparable. This understanding necessitates them to spearhead CBEG capacity building schemes at international, national and local levels.
Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

Thesis (M.A. (International Politics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020
The foreign policy of the Republic of China (PRC) has been a considerable subject for debate in the past two decades. This is because China has turned its attention towards Africa, seen with the establishment of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in the early 2000s. Another reason for this debate is found in the fact that after FOCAC’s initiation, China has managed to become the largest trade partner of the African continent and the second biggest economy in the past two decades. Generally, China-Africa relations are largely a by-product of economic and political orientations. In the context of the above, this study uses a case study design to critique the foreign policy of China towards Africa. This case study design uses Zambia as a test case to critique the post-2010 Chinese foreign policy towards Africa. This is done by constructing and analysing China’s Africa policy and subsequently, locating China’s International relations with Zambia. To a great extent, this study imparts historical sensibility as it locates China’s international relations with Zambia from as far as during the colonial period. The consideration of historicity in this study draws fundamentally from the fact that the past always provides a resonate basis for comprehending the present and the future. In this study, the researcher advocate for the utility of Afrocentricity as a substitute theoretical framework important in apprehending China’s foreign policy towards Africa. The adoption and utility of this paradigm in this study are informed highly by its ability in spotlighting and highlighting the Asian tiger (China)’s international relations with Zambia. It is believed in this study that a profound comprehension of China’s Zambia policy can be realised when such interpretations and analysis are deeply found in the continental context of the African continent. Equally important are the objectives of this study which were realised, methodologically, through the use of document review. In consideration of the case study of Zambia, It is important to highlight that China ground-roots its engagement with Zambia on several factors of which the leading are: investment, international legitimacy and market drive. To add, Zambia’s stable political and economic environments continue to play a key role in the two countries' interrelations. This is so, even though some of the Chinese companies operating in Zambia are still unfamiliar with the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Overall, the concept of CSR should be in the leading front when it comes to the operations of Chinese companies in Zambia’s economic stakeholders.

AbstractContext appropriate adaptation interventions and strategies that respond directly to localized climate change stressors, hazards, and vulnerabilities are critical for the sustainable development of countries like Zambia. This chapter examines both localized and systemic climate change risk pathways and barriers to adaptation action in Zambia.A three-staged methodology was applied, combining content analysis, focus group discussions, and expert interviews. Livelihood diversification was identified as the central adaptation option across Zambia, despite little empirical research detailing possible risks of diversification. The dominant adaptation discourse is focused specifically on diversifying within agriculture-based livelihoods. However, as all agricultural activities are impacted by climate change, diversification also needs to be explored in value-added or alternative sectors. With this, a weak policy framework and enabling environment are exacerbating cycles of poverty that underpin climate change vulnerability in Zambia. Moreover, maladaptation risks of existing diversification interventions are high as generic approaches often do not provide suitable options to complex and localized risk profiles.To implement a sustainable transition toward climate resilient and compatible development in Zambia, the authors recommend that a systematic livelihood diversification strategy should be rolled out and future research programs designed to support this. Specifically, this necessitates a system-wide analysis of pre-identified livelihood diversification pathways that can be adapted to different scenarios given the current and future climate uncertainties at local scales. The approach should focus on harnessing the positive feedback loops for systematic change to build resilience, while minimizing the dominant risk pathways and eliminating persistent barriers that enable positive feedback loops driving vulnerability to climate change. Thorough stakeholder engagement and incremental development of diversification options, incentives, penalties, and other governance and/or policy mechanisms will be needed to support these processes.

AbstractClimate change threatens development and economic growth in Africa. It increases risks for individuals and governments with unprecedented negative impacts on agriculture. Specifically, climate change presents a major threat to food security in Africa for the long term due to the low adaptive capacity to deal with successive climate shocks. There is a need for greater awareness of the trends of food crisis patterns and adaptive initiatives. The objective of this chapter was to analyze the trends of the food crisis in Africa within the past 10 years and adaptive initiatives. Quantitative data analyzed for food security indicators were obtained from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Development Indicators (WDI) available at the Environment and Climate Change data portal. Policy and adaptation measures related to climate change were reviewed in 26 countries in Africa, with the view to highlight their integrative nature in enhancing food security. High prevalence of undernourishment was observed in six countries, all in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) including Chad, Liberia, Central African Republic, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Countries with a high land acreage under cereal production recorded reduced undernourishment. Niger demonstrated effective adaptation for food security by registering the highest crop production index in extreme climate variability. However, Kenya appears to be the most predisposed by registering both high climate variability and below average crop production index. It is observed that diversification and technology adoption are key strategies applied across the countries for adaptation. However, the uptake of technology by smallholder farmers is still low across many countries in SSA.

AbstractClimate change threatens development and economic growth in Africa. It increases risks for individuals and governments with unprecedented negative impacts on agriculture. Specifically, climate change presents a major threat to food security in Africa for the long term due to the low adaptive capacity to deal with successive climate shocks. There is a need for greater awareness of the trends of food crisis patterns and adaptive initiatives. The objective of this chapter was to analyze the trends of the food crisis in Africa within the past 10 years and adaptive initiatives. Quantitative data analyzed for food security indicators were obtained from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Development Indicators (WDI) available at the Environment and Climate Change data portal. Policy and adaptation measures related to climate change were reviewed in 26 countries in Africa, with the view to highlight their integrative nature in enhancing food security. High prevalence of undernourishment was observed in six countries, all in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) including Chad, Liberia, Central African Republic, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Countries with a high land acreage under cereal production recorded reduced undernourishment. Niger demonstrated effective adaptation for food security by registering the highest crop production index in extreme climate variability. However, Kenya appears to be the most predisposed by registering both high climate variability and below average crop production index. It is observed that diversification and technology adoption are key strategies applied across the countries for adaptation. However, the uptake of technology by smallholder farmers is still low across many countries in SSA.

At independence in 1964, Zambia inherited an economy driven by copper mining. This has not changed despite post-independence policies to industrialize and diversify the economy. This chapter traces the role of local content in Zambia’s mining sector in supporting industrialization and economic diversification. It assesses productive linkages and manufacturing competitiveness during the import-substitution industrialization and post-1991 liberalization and privatization periods, and the adequacy of the current policy environment. Despite diminished productivity and export competitiveness during import-substitution industrialization, that era was successful in terms of domestic manufacture of mining goods. Privatization and liberalization stymied local content capabilities, retarding industrialization and economic diversification. Post-2000 policies emphasize local content development and export competitiveness. Their success, however, depends on addressing continuing weaknesses in the regulatory environment; human and technological capital; endogenous entrepreneurship; and the macroeconomic environment.

DR Congo’s copper belt is south of the dismembered former province of Katanga. The population has grown over the past twenty years due to the resumption of industrial and artisanal mining. This situation has led to an increase in demand for agricultural products including meat. The majority of these products are imported due to insufficient local production. Goat meat is the most consumed of the ruminants and most of these animals are imported from Zambia. Thousands of the goats are slaughtered daily and its meat sold in all markets and especially next to thousands of drinking establishments as appetizers. Unfortunately, this opportunity does not benefit local breeders because of several factors including the low productivity of the local goat, a stray breeding system, insufficiency and lack of space for breeding, contamination of pastures by heavy metals, insecurity, supremacy of the mining code over agricultural law, the dispossession of agricultural land belonging to peasants for the benefit of private farmers … In perspective, the establishment of a collaborative structure between breeders, development agents and technicians, researchers and policy makers in sectors related to goat farming and its environment will provide access to information and improve goat production.

Disease, we have argued, influenced patterns of colonization, especially in West Africa, the Americas, and Australia (Chapter 2). In turn, imperial transport routes facilitated the spread of certain diseases, such as bubonic plague. This chapter expands our discussion of environmentally related diseases by focusing on trypanosomiasis, carried by tsetse fly, in East and Central Africa. Unlike plague, this disease of humans and livestock was endemic and restricted to particular ecological zones in Africa. But as in the case of plague, the changing incidence of trypanosomiasis was at least in part related to imperialism and colonial intrusion in Africa. Coastal East Africa presented some of the same barriers to colonization as West Africa. Portugal maintained a foothold in South-East Africa for centuries, and its agents expanded briefly onto the Zimbabwean plateau in the seventeenth century, but could not command the interior. Had these early incursions been more successful, southern Africa may have been colonized from the north, rather than by the Dutch and British from the south. Parts of East Africa were a source of slaves and ivory in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The trading routes, commanded by Arab and Swahili African networks, as well as Afro-Portuguese further south, were linked with the Middle East and the Indian Ocean. In the early decades of the nineteenth century, slave-holding expanded within enclaves of East Africa, such as the clove plantations of Zanzibar. When Britain attempted to abolish the slave trade in the early nineteenth century, and policed the West African coast, East and Central African sources briefly became more important for the Atlantic slave trade. African slaves from these areas were taken to Latin America and the Spanish Caribbean. Britain did not have the same intensity of contact with East Africa as with West and southern Africa until the late nineteenth century. There was no major natural resource that commanded a market in Europe and British traders had limited involvement in these slave markets. But between the 1880s and 1910s, most of East and Central Africa was taken under colonial rule, sometimes initially as protectorates: by Britain in Kenya and Uganda; Germany in Tanzania; Rhodes’s British South Africa Company in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi; and by King Leopold of Belgium in the Congo.

Zambians in all walks of life are affected by malnutrition, and working through human rights is one key way to address this injustice. Based on research aiming to understand how a ‘right to nutrition’ is perceived by different actors globally and in Zambia, this brief presents a clear framework for a rights-based approach to nutrition in Zambia. This framework identifies rhetorical, legal and practical functions of human rights, and offers a way to think through clearly how different actors might work on the different aspects of rights. Addressing these three aspects of a right to nutrition all together – instead of by very separate constituencies as happens now – is fundamental to a coherent rights-based approach to nutrition. This brief outlines which actors need to come together – from law and policy, activism and communities, across global, national and local levels – and suggests how to start. It lays out the Zambian policy, legal and practical environment as it stands, and suggests actions to move forward in each of these areas in ways that are consistent with the different aspects of rights. Through these steps, Zambia can become known as a hub of action on a right to nutrition, to join with others in using human rights to address the injustice of malnutrition.

This report maps the African landscape of Open Science – with a focus on Open Data as a sub-set of Open Science. Data to inform the landscape study were collected through a variety of methods, including surveys, desk research, engagement with a community of practice, networking with stakeholders, participation in conferences, case study presentations, and workshops hosted. Although the majority of African countries (35 of 54) demonstrates commitment to science through its investment in research and development (R&D), academies of science, ministries of science and technology, policies, recognition of research, and participation in the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), the following countries demonstrate the highest commitment and political willingness to invest in science: Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. In addition to existing policies in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), the following countries have made progress towards Open Data policies: Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda. Only two African countries (Kenya and South Africa) at this stage contribute 0.8% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to R&D (Research and Development), which is the closest to the AU’s (African Union’s) suggested 1%. Countries such as Lesotho and Madagascar ranked as 0%, while the R&D expenditure for 24 African countries is unknown. In addition to this, science globally has become fully dependent on stable ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) infrastructure, which includes connectivity/bandwidth, high performance computing facilities and data services. This is especially applicable since countries globally are finding themselves in the midst of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), which is not only “about” data, but which “is” data. According to an article1 by Alan Marcus (2015) (Senior Director, Head of Information Technology and Telecommunications Industries, World Economic Forum), “At its core, data represents a post-industrial opportunity. Its uses have unprecedented complexity, velocity and global reach. As digital communications become ubiquitous, data will rule in a world where nearly everyone and everything is connected in real time. That will require a highly reliable, secure and available infrastructure at its core, and innovation at the edge.” Every industry is affected as part of this revolution – also science. An important component of the digital transformation is “trust” – people must be able to trust that governments and all other industries (including the science sector), adequately handle and protect their data. This requires accountability on a global level, and digital industries must embrace the change and go for a higher standard of protection. “This will reassure consumers and citizens, benefitting the whole digital economy”, says Marcus. A stable and secure information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure – currently provided by the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) – is key to advance collaboration in science. The AfricaConnect2 project (AfricaConnect (2012–2014) and AfricaConnect2 (2016–2018)) through establishing connectivity between National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), is planning to roll out AfricaConnect3 by the end of 2019. The concern however is that selected African governments (with the exception of a few countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia and others) have low awareness of the impact the Internet has today on all societal levels, how much ICT (and the 4th Industrial Revolution) have affected research, and the added value an NREN can bring to higher education and research in addressing the respective needs, which is far more complex than simply providing connectivity. Apart from more commitment and investment in R&D, African governments – to become and remain part of the 4th Industrial Revolution – have no option other than to acknowledge and commit to the role NRENs play in advancing science towards addressing the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals). For successful collaboration and direction, it is fundamental that policies within one country are aligned with one another. Alignment on continental level is crucial for the future Pan-African African Open Science Platform to be successful. Both the HIPSSA ((Harmonization of ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa)3 project and WATRA (the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly)4, have made progress towards the regulation of the telecom sector, and in particular of bottlenecks which curb the development of competition among ISPs. A study under HIPSSA identified potential bottlenecks in access at an affordable price to the international capacity of submarine cables and suggested means and tools used by regulators to remedy them. Work on the recommended measures and making them operational continues in collaboration with WATRA. In addition to sufficient bandwidth and connectivity, high-performance computing facilities and services in support of data sharing are also required. The South African National Integrated Cyberinfrastructure System5 (NICIS) has made great progress in planning and setting up a cyberinfrastructure ecosystem in support of collaborative science and data sharing. The regional Southern African Development Community6 (SADC) Cyber-infrastructure Framework provides a valuable roadmap towards high-speed Internet, developing human capacity and skills in ICT technologies, high- performance computing and more. The following countries have been identified as having high-performance computing facilities, some as a result of the Square Kilometre Array7 (SKA) partnership: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia. More and more NRENs – especially the Level 6 NRENs 8 (Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, and recently Zambia) – are exploring offering additional services; also in support of data sharing and transfer. The following NRENs already allow for running data-intensive applications and sharing of high-end computing assets, bio-modelling and computation on high-performance/ supercomputers: KENET (Kenya), TENET (South Africa), RENU (Uganda), ZAMREN (Zambia), EUN (Egypt) and ARN (Algeria). Fifteen higher education training institutions from eight African countries (Botswana, Benin, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, and Tanzania) have been identified as offering formal courses on data science. In addition to formal degrees, a number of international short courses have been developed and free international online courses are also available as an option to build capacity and integrate as part of curricula. The small number of higher education or research intensive institutions offering data science is however insufficient, and there is a desperate need for more training in data science. The CODATA-RDA Schools of Research Data Science aim at addressing the continental need for foundational data skills across all disciplines, along with training conducted by The Carpentries 9 programme (specifically Data Carpentry 10 ). Thus far, CODATA-RDA schools in collaboration with AOSP, integrating content from Data Carpentry, were presented in Rwanda (in 2018), and during17-29 June 2019, in Ethiopia. Awareness regarding Open Science (including Open Data) is evident through the 12 Open Science-related Open Access/Open Data/Open Science declarations and agreements endorsed or signed by African governments; 200 Open Access journals from Africa registered on the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ); 174 Open Access institutional research repositories registered on openDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories); 33 Open Access/Open Science policies registered on ROARMAP (Registry of Open Access Repository Mandates and Policies); 24 data repositories registered with the Registry of Data Repositories (re3data.org) (although the pilot project identified 66 research data repositories); and one data repository assigned the CoreTrustSeal. Although this is a start, far more needs to be done to align African data curation and research practices with global standards. Funding to conduct research remains a challenge. African researchers mostly fund their own research, and there are little incentives for them to make their research and accompanying data sets openly accessible. Funding and peer recognition, along with an enabling research environment conducive for research, are regarded as major incentives. The landscape report concludes with a number of concerns towards sharing research data openly, as well as challenges in terms of Open Data policy, ICT infrastructure supportive of data sharing, capacity building, lack of skills, and the need for incentives. Although great progress has been made in terms of Open Science and Open Data practices, more awareness needs to be created and further advocacy efforts are required for buy-in from African governments. A federated African Open Science Platform (AOSP) will not only encourage more collaboration among researchers in addressing the SDGs, but it will also benefit the many stakeholders identified as part of the pilot phase. The time is now, for governments in Africa, to acknowledge the important role of science in general, but specifically Open Science and Open Data, through developing and aligning the relevant policies, investing in an ICT infrastructure conducive for data sharing through committing funding to making NRENs financially sustainable, incentivising open research practices by scientists, and creating opportunities for more scientists and stakeholders across all disciplines to be trained in data management.