Arusha Climate And Environmental Research Centre

In March 2022 the Aga Khan University launched Arusha Climate and Environmental Research Centre (AKU-ACER) on its nearly four thousand acres of ecologically important land in Arusha, Tanzania. As a flagship project of the University, and with the support of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), AKU-ACER leverages the extraordinary importance of the site in terms of research opportunities in environmental science – including atmospheric sciences, sustainable agriculture and ecology, environmental chemistry, geosciences, and social sciences. The overarching objectives of AKU-ACER include advancing academic research leading to results for stakeholders and achieving increased visibility on the importance of environmental field sites that explicitly set out to develop capacity. The benefits of the research activities undertaken at AKU-ACER cut across many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relating to the environment and climate action, including capacity for carbon sequestration. Based on the characteristics of the site, restorative land management activities will continue and inform much of the research work as well. Going forward, the focus is to systematically study the climate impacts on human health, ecosystem services, and geophysical hazards.

In the Heart of Africa: My Arusha Field School Odyssey

Testimonial by Sukhman Kaur Khosa, an Undergraduate Student at Simon Fraser University University in Canada.

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Strengthening Partnerships for the Environment

The Aga Khan University has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the University of Dar es Salaam, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, and Simon Fraser University of Canada to collaborate for environmental research aimed at dealing with the impact of climate change.

Strengthening Partnerships for the Environment

Facilitating joint research, faculty and student exchange and other forms of collaboration aimed at tackling global issues, among them climate change and environmental sustainability.

Accomplishments to date

Numerous accomplishments have been successfully attained at present. Two baseline studies have been successfully conducted on community needs and the diversity of pollinators. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been executed with significant local and international universities and institutions. This MOU allows the Centre to access and utilize the laboratories of local universities, as well as collaborate with scholars to jointly develop and execute research projects. There are currently four ongoing research projects that encompass a thorough examination of pollinators in the surrounding farmland and other locations in three regions of Tanzania. Additionally, these projects involve a comprehensive evaluation of soil and land health, as well as biodiversity assessment within AKU-ACER' lands. Furthermore, research is being conducted on the concept of a Green Economy. At present, there are several large-multi-year research projects being developed in collaboration between AKU, Simon Fraser University, and other academic institutions. These projects are currently in various stages of the writing process.