Project

Towards a Transformative Learning Ecology for Watershed Stewardship: An exploration of the PIP approach in the Manafwa Watershed, Eastern Uganda

Natural resource degradation is a global wicked sustainability challenge that has constrained possibilities of striking a balance between development, consumption patterns, and natural resource preservation/conservation. Impoverished communities now face multiple vulnerabilities arising from such degradation, the future is rather uncertain!

As a contribution to technical and control-driven efforts toward sustainable use and management of natural resources, this research project explores the potential of ecological and transformative learning processes in facilitating multiple stakeholders to become stewards of their natural resources. Thus, this project explores the Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP) approach which is being implemented in the Manafwa watershed in Eastern Uganda to facilitate learning for watershed stewardship amongst smallholder farmers and school children. The overall aim of the project is to explore the tensions and possibilities for creating and sustaining a transformative learning ecology for stewardship action amongst stakeholders. As everybody benefits from the services of a watershed, it requires a collective effort to participate (directly/indirectly) in caring for the watershed just as should be the case with all other natural resources.

In the first instance, this project utilized the lens of a transformative learning ecology to map the PIP learning configuration, and the environmental competencies to establish what smallholder farmers are learning in terms of stewardship competencies as facilitated by the PIP approach. The findings so far indicate that the PIP approach comprises an organic learning system that facilitates farmers to change their mindsets and routines towards those that support stewardship. Through this organic learning system, most smallholder farmers can develop their environmental knowledge, social and ethical competencies, establish a connection with the watershed, and undertake restorative/conservative actions within the watershed.

In the second instance, an environment education based on PIP core tenets was developed and implemented as a co-curricular activity through environmental education clubs in primary schools. The project utilized the lens of the environmental competencies model to investigate the development of stewardship competencies amongst pupils in primary schools. This project indicates a progressive development of stewardship competencies amongst school children. Most pupils now demonstrate increased awareness of the environment and the watershed, increased motivation and responsibility towards the watershed, a developing identity with nature, and more inclination toward working with other stakeholders for watershed restoration. In relation, the study further uses the lens of the WSA flower model to explore the experiences of environmental education club patrons as implementors of environment education in schools and illuminates vital lessons for improving and scaling out environment education in rural schools.

About Doreen Misanya

Doreen is a female Ugandan of adult age. She is a university teacher and researcher at the Department of Adult, Community and Lifelong Learning, Kyambogo University in Uganda where she teaches several courses spanning communication skills, environmental education, gender, organizational management, and sociology. Her research interests are therefore in the areas of Adult Learning, sustainable development, regeneration, environment sustainability, and gender. With her passion for environment-related subjects, the candidate brings together the field of adult learning and environment sustainability, to generate strategies for sustainable stewardship of natural resources such as watersheds.

Keywords

  • Transformative Learning Ecology
  • The Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP) approach
  • Watershed stewardship
  • Stewardship Competences
  • Smallholder farming
  • The whole School Approach

Project Team

  • Doreen Misanya, PhD Candidate
  • Prof. Dr. Ir. Arjen Wals, Wageningen University and Research, Education and Learning Sciences (ELS) Group
  • Dr. Valentina C. Tassone, Wageningen University and Research, Education and Learning Sciences (ELS) Group
  • Dr. Aad Kessler, Wageningen University and Research, Soil Physics and Land Management (SLM)Group
  • Prof. Paul Kibwika, Makerere University, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

Developments, results, output

  • Completed data collection and analysis
  • TSP approved and executed

Published

Doreen Misanya, Valentina C. Tassone, Aad Kessler, Paul Kibwika & Arjen E. J. Wals (2023) Analysing farmers’ learning for socio-ecological stewardship in Eastern Uganda: A transformative learning ecology perspective, NJAS: Impact in Agricultural and Life Sciences, 95:1, 2191795, DOI: 10.1080/27685241.2023.2191795

Submitted for publication

Competences for socio-ecological stewardship: a qualitative assessment of the transformative potential of farmers’ learning processes in Eastern Uganda

Writing

  1. Children as environmental stewards in an African context: An investigation into competencies that children acquire from a transformative learning intervention
  2. The whole school approach to sustainability as a framework for enhancing environmental education for environmental stewardship in rural schools