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Malaria is a climate sensitive disease that is causing rampant deaths in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and its impact is expected to worsen under climate change. Thus, pre-emptive policies for future malaria control require projections based on integrated models that can accommodate complex interactions of both climatic and non-climatic factors that define malaria landscape. In this paper, we combined Geographical Information System (GIS) and Bayesian belief networks (BBN) to generate GIS-BBN models that predicted malaria hotspots in 2030, 2050 and 2100 under representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. We used malaria data of children of SSA, gridded environmental and social-economic data together with projected climate data from the 21 Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5 models to compile the GIS-BBN models. Our model on which projections were made has an accuracy of 80.65% to predict the high, medium, low and no malaria prevalence categories correctly. The non-spatial BBN model projection shows a moderate variation in malaria reduction for the high prevalence category among RCPs. Under the low prevalence category, an increase in malaria is seen but with little variation ranging between 4.6 and 5.6 percentage points. Spatially, under RCP 4.5, most parts of SSA will have medium malaria prevalence in 2030, while under RCP 8.5, most parts will have no malaria except in the highlands. Our BBN-GIS models show an overall shift of malaria hotspots from West Africa to the eastern and southern parts of Africa especially under RCP 8.5. RCP 8.5 will not expand the high and medium malaria prevalence categories in all the projection years. The generated probabilistic maps highlight future malaria hotspots under climate change on which pre-emptive policies can be based.

To determine the climate changes that are due to natural variability and those due to human activities is quite challenging, just like delineating the impacts. Moreover, it is equally difficult to ascertain the adaptive strategies for coping with the climate changes and in particular for developing countries like Kenya. While climate change is a global phenomenon, the impacts are more or less specific to local areas such as observed in Kenyan case. Therefore climate change impacts adaptation strategies are appropriately applicable to a given local perspective. The study investigated the main indicators of climate change and effective adaptive strategies that can be employed in Kenya. Based on online questionnaire survey, the study established unpredictable rainfall patterns as the major indicator of climate change in the country, while water harvesting and change of cropping methods are the best adaptive strategies.

The aim of this paper is to illustrate the benefits, and challenges towards providing multifunctional urban green spaces. The results are based on critical analysis of study findings from different cities in Europe, America and to a lesser extent in Asia. Inner-city green spaces are especially important for improving air quality through uptake of pollutant gases and particulates which are responsible for respiratory infections. Due to their amenity and aesthetics, green spaces increase property value. To ensure multifunctional role of urban a green space is achieved, in particular the social and psychological role, certain standards of quantity, quality and distribution within the urban area should be adequately established. Green spaces need to be uniformly distributed throughout the city area, although each does not need to be extremely large but should be large enough to accommodate the city population.

This paper examines the role and effectiveness of local institutions in the management of forest biodiversity in New Dabaga-Ulongambi Forest Reserve, Tanzania. Data were obtained through questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, participatory rural appraisal and field observations. The study revealed that the most remarkable local institutions connected to forest biodiversity management include: Village Natural Resources Management Committee (92%), tree nursery group (79.4%), beekeeping groups (61.1%), fish farming (43.3%), livestock rearing group (33.9%). Main activities carried out by local institutions which directly contribute to the sustainability of forest reserve include: forest patrols, fire extinguish, preparation of fire breaks, planting of trees along the forest boundaries, creation of awareness, arresting of forest defaulters, participation in income generation activities. For the purpose of realization that local communities are capable of managing forest biodiversity thro...

KEYWORDS Forest Utilization. Sustainable Forest Management. Forest Resources. Policy ABSTRACT This paper presents findings on the contribution of Non-timber Forest Products towards poverty alleviation and sustainable forest management. It draws results from Nou-Catchment Forest Reserve, Dareda and Dohom Village Land Forest Reserves (VLFRs), in Mbulu and Babati Districts, Manyara region, Tanzania. Data were collected from eight villages, four from each District using participatory rural appraisal, structured interviews, focused group discussion and baseline data from FARM Africa Babati, Tanzania. Results revealed that NTFPs have significant role, particularly fire wood (92%), fodder (63%) and bee keeping activities (40%). Environmental goods and services (40%), construction materials and medicinal plants are also remarkable. This indicated significant contribution in income and non-income poverty reduction and thus, incentive for sustainable forest management. However, the collection trend varied from different forest and management regimes, (65%) National forest reserve, Village forest (31%), and small quantity in Village general lands (5%). The findings also highlight constraint to their exploitation and policy implications of Non-timber Forest Products towards poverty reduction and sustainable forest management. It must be mentioned, however that, there is a need for policy and legislation framework to guarantee more impact on poverty reduction and sustainable forest management.