School of Natural Resources, Tourism and Hospitality

Designing regenerative landscapes: Using spatial indicators to diagnose landscape reorganization under alternative policies and management

2026-10-01T00:00:00Z

Designing regenerative landscapes: Using spatial indicators to diagnose landscape reorganization under alternative policies and management Susan M. Kotikot , Erica A.H. Smithwick, Sarah E. Gergel, Jedidah Nankaya, Romulus Abila Multifunctional arid and semi-arid landscapes are increasingly stressed by climate variability interacting with long-standing land use change and shifting land tenure systems, reshaping landscape structure, altering resilience and diminishing regenerative capacity. These dynamics create an urgent need for sustainability indicators that capture how alternative policy and management pathways reorganize spatial patterns linked to resilience and multifunctionality. We apply a spatially explicit scenario framework to evaluate configuration-based landscape indicators across contrasting land tenure regimes (group ranch governance versus privatization) and regenerative land management strategies in a multifunctional dryland landscape in southern Kenya. We quantify indicators of landscape heterogeneity, forest fragmentation, and functional adjacency (cropland-forest and rangeland-forest proximity) to diagnose how interventions reorganize spatial structure relevant to regenerative processes. Results show that land tenure regime alone exerts strong control over baseline configuration indicators, with group ranch governance associated with higher landscape heterogeneity and connectivity than privatization. Regenerative management strategies systematically improve configuration indicators; however, their magnitude and expression vary by tenure context. Strategies prioritizing small forest patch conservation and targeted water access yield the largest gains in adjacency-based and heterogeneity indicators, particularly under group ranch tenure, while bundled, multi-component interventions produce modest or offsetting effects. These findings demonstrate the utility of landscape configuration indicators as a decision-relevant lens for evaluating regenerative pathways and reveal that tenure context conditions the magnitude of indicator responses to spatial management strategies. The indicator-based framework supports tenure-sensitive planning and monitoring by treating configuration-based indicators as diagnostic signals of regenerative potential, rather than direct measures of regenerative outcomes.

Tourism Accessibility and Inclusive Policy Practice in Protected Landscapes: An Analytical Case Study of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

2026-10-01T00:00:00Z

Tourism Accessibility and Inclusive Policy Practice in Protected Landscapes: An Analytical Case Study of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Awadhi Titu Mussa, Ondabu Ezekiel Kiage, Judy Kibe, Lucia Petrikovičová Tourists with accessibility needs (TwANs) continue to face barriers to equitable participation in protected-area tourism, despite growing recognition of inclusive tourism and accessibility in some destinations. This study examined tourism accessibility and inclusive policy practices for TwANs in the Serengeti National Park (SENAPA), Tanzania, with particular attention to staff training and evaluation, safety measures and legal compliance, public awareness, and mechanisms for stakeholder feedback. Grounded in the Social Model of Disability, the study employed a qualitative case-study design. A purposive sample of 66 participants comprising TwANs, tourism officers, tour operators, tour guides, and accommodation managers were involved in the study. Data were generated through 43 semi-structured interviews, six focus-group discussions comprising 23 participants, direct field observations, and documentary analysis. Methodological rigor was strengthened through triangulation across these sources and methods to enhance the credibility, dependability, confirmability, and trustworthiness of the findings. TwANs were recruited based on self-identified accessibility needs to capture diverse access requirements beyond visible impairments. Data were analyzed using framework analysis, informed by the study objectives, the Social Model of Disability, relevant literature, and emergent findings. The findings disclose persistent accessibility barriers associated with tourism infrastructure and facilities, staff preparedness, safety and emergency arrangements, information provision, legal and policy implementation, and limited public awareness of different access requirements. These barriers demonstrate that accessibility constraints are shaped not solely by individual impairments but also by environmental, institutional, and attitudinal conditions within the tourism system, particularly in protected landscapes like SENAPA. The study contributes empirical evidence from an African protected-area context and highlights the need for coordinated inclusive tourism policies, universal design principles, staff capacity development, effective regulatory implementation, and participatory planning to promote equitable tourism participation for TwANs in protected landscapes.

Risk Factors Associated with Shiga‑toxin Escherichia coli Contamination of Raw Milk in Pastoralist Farms in Narok County, Kenya

2026-08-01T00:00:00Z

Risk Factors Associated with Shiga‑toxin Escherichia coli Contamination of Raw Milk in Pastoralist Farms in Narok County, Kenya Eric Emali Eshitera, Gabriel Oluga Aboge, Peter Baaro Gathura, Evalyn Wanjiru Mwihia, Alfred Omwando Mainga, Joshua Orungo Onono Background: Narok County has recorded the highest global isolation of the foodborne Shiga toxin‑producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Nevertheless, information regarding transmission risk in the food systems is limited. Objective: This study aimed to investigate risk factors associated with isolation of STEC from bulked farm milk in Narok County. Materials and Methods: STEC strains were isolated and identified using standard bacteriological and molecular methods. Management practices data were collected through face‑to‑face interviews. Logistic regression analyses determined the relevant predictors and model performance. Results: E. coli was isolated from 15.1% (confidence interval [CI]: 9.2–21.0, n = 139) of the raw milk samples; the majority (85.7%, CI: 70.8–100.0, n = 21) of the isolates were confirmed to be STEC through multiplex polymerase chain reaction and sequencing targeting gadA, stx 1, stx 2, eaeA, and hlyA genes. Informal education (odds ratio [OR] = 30.7; 95% CI: 6.6–142.5; P < 0.001) and housing livestock (OR = 19.2; 95% CI: 5.2–71.5; P < 0.001) emerged as significant predictors of STEC isolation. Informal education and indoor housing of dairy animals were associated with increased likelihood of isolation of STEC from raw milk (adjusted OR [AOR] = 13.9, P < 0.001) and (AOR = 9.0, P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence of poor milk handling practices on farms. The prevalence of STEC in milk may pose a risk to public health and food safety. Therefore, proper hygienic practices in dairy farms are recommended.

Invisible Allies: Donkeys promote drought resilience in pastoralist communities but are excluded from policy

2026-09-01T00:00:00Z

Invisible Allies: Donkeys promote drought resilience in pastoralist communities but are excluded from policy Emily Haddy, David Obiero Oduori, Tesfaheywet Z. Shiferaw, Julia Brown, Ilan Kelman, Leanne Proops Severe droughts in East Africa threaten pastoralist livelihoods, with donkeys providing vital but undervalued support in transporting water, food, and resources. This study examines policy and provision for working donkeys in Kenya and Ethiopia, countries severely affected by drought and heavily reliant on donkeys for community resilience. We narratively reviewed national and international documents relevant to donkey welfare, particularly during drought (n = 77), spanning animal health, agriculture, climate change, disaster risk management, and water. We found donkeys largely absent—only 17 policies referenced equids, mainly in economic rather than welfare terms. To explore ground realities, lived experience and barriers to successful provision of donkey welfare during drought, we conducted 41 semistructured interviews with government officials, veterinarians, non-governmental organisation and pastoralist representatives. Stakeholders reported systemic exclusion of donkeys from veterinary curricula, health infrastructure, and drought relief efforts. Barriers to provision included the invisibility of their contributions, a lack of data on their economic value, and livestock models focused on production animals. Recommendations for future policy comprise the explicit inclusion of equids in policy definitions of livestock and corresponding inclusion in livestock and disaster risk management frameworks; ensuring eligibility for feed and veterinary support. Practical improvements could be made regarding welfare law enforcement, integrating donkeys into veterinary curricula, collecting data on their economic value and resilience contributions and prioritising drought preparedness initiatives. A One Health/Welfare approach linking human, animal, and environmental wellbeing, combined with coordinated and context-specific drought interventions, could strengthen community resilience, enhance animal welfare, and safeguard pastoralist livelihoods.