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October Issue No.011

In this issue, you will find:

Message from the Director General: P1 COSTECH participates at the YST exhibitions: P2

Tanzania to host Smart Partnership Dialogue: P3 SIDA, AGRA to give US$10mil to Agri-business: P4

Renewable energy for development in Tanzania: P5 Did you ever know: P6

COSTECH engineers the Biotechnology manual: P6 Scientific research report: P7 Biogas utilization in Tanzania: P8

Pictorial: P9 Upcoming Events: P10

Message from the Director General

Welcome to the tenth offering of our monthly e-newsletter. In this month, a lot of events continued to

happen at the Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH).

COSTECH had pleasure to be part of the local organizing committee and hence participate on the Young Scientists Tanzania 2012 exhibitions that took place this month. This was an opportunity for the Commission to witness some of scientific and technological projects that are initiated by secondary school students as part of their learning process. It was good to see that innovation sprit has become an agenda in most Tanzanian school. The Commission is grateful for the teachers who are working hard to nurture students’ talents, and we urge them to look into some of the opportunities that are available here at COSTECH. This month, COSTECH through the Directorate of Research Coordination and Promotion, (DRCP), organized a-four-day retreat that comprised of Biotechnology together with the Environmental Policy experts, who came together to draft the Biotechnology manual which is in Kiswahili. We thought the manual should be in Kiswahili to attract a wide range of Biotechnology stakeholders and also help to inform the public about the whole concept of Biotechnology and Biosafety regulations. As we currently experiencing global warming and environmental degradation, we needed to prepare a guide that will take us through from one stage to the other. In order to combat food insecurity, the agricultural challenges caused by climate change such as drought, crop infectious diseases and harmful pets which among other things need insecticides to be controlled, at some point, the application of Biotechnology will be inevitable. It is our hope that the manual will help to clarify some of misled and misinformed information and even at times sheer speculative notions as to the whole concept of Biotechnology. Finally, I would like to thank the people who have worked tirelessly in preparing this e-newsletter and would like to invite all of you to contribute to it in the future issues. I wish you a good reading. Dr. Hassan Mshinda.

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From the 24th

-25h October, 2012 the

Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) participated at the scientific exhibitions organized by the Young Scientists Tanzania (YST). The exhibitions were intended to enable more than 100 secondary school students in the country showcase their scientific talents at the Diamond Jubilee Hall, Dar es Salaam. Four categories of talents namely, Biological and Ecological Sciences, Chemical, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Social and Behavioural Sciences and Technology – were exhibited based on the realities within their communities, in conjunction with their teachers, and supported by the YST, as they research a project. These projects also had the opportunity to influence key domestic and local economic issues that are best addressed via scientific method. Young Scientists Tanzania 2012 exhibitions aimed to popularize science among young people through which both schools and students took part. In keeping up with Tanzania’s goals to encourage scientific education and with its broader economic development, the Hon. Prof. Makame Mbarawa (MP), Tanzania’s Minister for Communication, Science and Technology, on the 25th October 2012 announced the winners of the first Young Scientists Tanzania, a nationwide science and technology event that is providing a platform for young people from across Tanzania to showcase their scientific talents. The inaugural winners of Young Scientists Tanzania are Ms. Aisha Nduku, Ms. Monica Shinina and Ms. Nengai Moses from Kibosho Girls Secondary School in Kilimanjaro.

Their project was titled: Industrial fertilizers and increased nitrites in water.

Fig. 1: 1ST Prize winners from Kibosho Sec. School. Photo courtesy of YST 2012.

The ultimate story of Young Scientist Tanzania, though, is about the students, their interest in science, and their passion to help their communities. The challenges in front of them can scarcely be overstated – students representing 13 schools from Kagera district travelled for thirty hours to get to Dar es Salaam to display their projects. Sadly, projects on climate change figure prominently, especially in schools from the north of the country, as Tanzania with so little responsibility for Global Climate Change is paying a disproportionate cost of its terrible effects in parched land and diminished livelihoods. The YST, though, is about ingenuity and resilience -- the human capacity to meet challenges with reason and imagination. YST shows that Tanzania is well supplied in this resource. Speaking as the YST Board Member, Professor Eligius Lyamuya pointed out that Young Scientists Tanzania nurtures a science culture in Tanzania schools and science and technology are vital for the economic and social development of the country as the country move into a more globalized world. Prof. Lyamuya believes that YST will play an important role in changing perceptions around science and technology.

The COSTECH was among local exhibitors that showcased some of its research projects and its most recent publications to the young scientists. The Commission was also represented by its two grassroots innovators, Mr. George Buchafwe who invented a soap making machine together with Said Mjulizi who innovated the natural dye using tree leaves.

Fig. 2: Mr. Mashuhuri Mwinyihamis, a research officer at COSTECH explains the roles and functions of the COSTECH to one of the guests who visited the COSTECH booth.

Fig. 3: Mr. Said Mjulizi explains how the natural dye works to some of the visitors who visited the COSTECH booth.

Fig. 4: Mr. George Buchafwe narrates a story to students how he invented a soap making machine and how the COSTECH helped him realize his dream.

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Tanzania will host the next Smart Partnership Dialogue (SPD) in May 2013. SPD is a brainchild of the Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management (CPTM). The CPTM which is the social and scientific inter-linkage arm of the Commonwealth, has since 1995 undertaken in collaboration with willing national partners to provide a forum that cuts across the east-west, have, have not’s and the developed and developing dichotomy for the discussion of topical subjects in a conducive and inclusive open dialogue. All commonwealth member countries are part of the Smart Partnership Movement. This consists of 54 countries around the world with 19 of them being from Africa. Inspired by the increasing need to ensure a win-win interrelationship between actors, the CPTM, in collaboration with the host country undertake to provide an ambient setting where individuals from all walks of life and professions can meet and hold serious discourse on selected subjects every two years. Smart Partnership Dialogue began as a platform for scientists to meet and discuss scientific and technological issues that were relevant all over the world. The changing geo-political space, the shrinking of the globe and increasing interconnectedness and interdependence made the idea of a sustainable open forum to discuss global topical issues a

necessity. Thus the Smart Partnership Dialogue persevered. The SPD can be traced back in 1990s when the first dialogue was held in Malaysia in 1995 under the leadership of the Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohammed. In present times, the dialogues have earned the right to be referred as vehicle for change. The SPD 2013 has been branded as the GLOBAL 2013 SMART PARTNERSHIP DIALOGUE in anticipation of the interest the chosen theme is likely to raise. Technology is a global phenomenon, a global concern, a global topical issue. It is therefore more than likely that a Dialogue on Technology for development shall merit global attention and have a global audience/participation. As host, the kicking off of the National Dialogue is very crucial. It is a means for creating National and International awareness of the next host of the Dialogue and avails the opportunity to announce the dialogue venue, topic and dates.

The Host and Patron Advisor for the 2013 Smart Partnership Dialogue, H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania officially launched preparations for the 2013 Dialogue and introduced the Theme for the Dialogue “Leveraging Technology for Africa’s Socio-Economic Transformation” announced the date for the Dialogue 24th to 28th May, 2013 and the venue Julius Nyerere Convention

Center, Dar es Salaam, issuing a holistic invitation to both the citizens of Tanzania as well as the International Community at large, and share his vision for the Dialogue. The vision of the SPD is to Promote creative cooperation between the Government and other sectors contributing to socio-economic activities and build upon the positive ethos of 'prospering thy neighbor' for 'a win-win' situation and its mission is to create opportunities for Tanzanians, neighboring countries and the globe at large in harnessing and leveraging technology towards equitable socio-economic transformation smartly. To ensure that this Smart Partnership Dialogue 2013 is successful, a two pronged approach is utilized. The first is when the host country convenes a National Dialogue in January 2013. This involves the gathering together of different sectors of the host community and coming up with a topical issue that is not just locally relevant, but which resonates internationally and merits a grander discourse and focus. The second dialogue is when the host country in collaboration with the CPTM plan for, invite participants and hold an international open dialogue on the selected topics, in essence, hosts a Smart Dialogue. For more information on Global 2013 Smart Partnership Dialogue please visit: http://www.global2013.go.tz/

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By Lusekelo Philemon 1st October, 2012.

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has issued a US$10 million grant to support the development of Africa-based innovations to boost African agricultural growth. SIDA Representative, Henrik Riby, and AGRA President, Jane Karuku formalized the agreement by signing the document at the recently concluded African Green Revolution Forum. The grant issued by SIDA will be directly channeled to the African Agribusiness Window of African Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), a fund hosted by AGRA. Administered by the AECF, the grant will enable Africa-based entrepreneurs to submit new and innovative business solutions to accelerate the development of agricultural sector in Africa. Among the entrepreneurs applying for the loan, only ten to twelve will be selected and provided with the funds to develop their ideas into practical projects that are both commercially viable and with a broad developmental impact on the rural poor. The projects will have a significant focus on the empowerment of women and environmental sustainability.

The grant is part of SIDA’s program area focused on inclusive business and pro-poor economic growth, with investments that must significantly contribute to poverty reduction and rural development. The grant is expected to benefit at least an additional 60,000 households (300,000 people) with extra income, employment, market access and transfer of know-how. “We know that a more effective and professional agriculture sector can make a real difference for millions of people living in poverty in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Riby. “By sharing the financial risks of private investments in agribusiness, we hope to encourage new sustainable ways of raising rural incomes,” he added. “The African Enterprise Challenge Fund is an important contributor to AGRA’s goals and strategy, and its impact will be enhanced with this grant from SIDA,” said Karuku. “These projects benefit millions of Africa’s rural poor in very practical ways such as jobs, increased income, knowledge transfer and market access,” she added. SIDA is a government agency under Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs. SIDA's goal is to contribute to making it possible for poor people to improve their living conditions.

AGRA is an Africa based organization working in partnership with governments, agricultural research organizations, farmers, private sector, civil society and other rural development stakeholders to significantly improve the productivity and incomes of resource poor farmers in Africa. AGRA’s programs in the areas of seeds, soil health, market viability, supportive policies and innovative finance work to bring about transformational change across the agricultural value chain. Initially funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, AGRA is chaired by Kofi Annan and has offices in Nairobi, Kenya and Accra, Ghana. The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) invites private companies to compete for investment support for their new and innovative business ideas in agri-business, rural financial services and renewable energy & adaptation to climate change. To qualify for AECF funding, a business idea must have a positive impact on the rural poor in Africa, delivering increased employment, reduced costs, and improved productivity. The AECF runs competitions open only to for-profit-companies. SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN http://www.ippmedia.com/front

end/index.php?l=46439

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By Salvatory J.S. Mushi From the previous issue…

Reasons for Investing in Renewable Energy

On energy security: Fossil fuels energy resources are pollutants, limited, finite and therefore not sustainable. Countries like Japan and others, for example, depend on imported fuel risk the effects of price fluctuations and other risks of natural disasters. On environmental concerns: Utilization of fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide resulting to the global warming and air pollution. On climate change: Fossil fuels utilization and the resulting emissions contribute to the change in climate in the form of higher temperatures, high rainfall and floods. On competitive energy prices: The renewable energy technology is currently a proven technology and therefore the prices compare favourably with the price of electricity produced from the fossil fuels. On job creation: The renewable energy is fast growing and therefore creates jobs in different countries unlike in the conventional energy sources which are very much centralised. Policy Statements Relevant to Renewable Energy Development in Tanzania The Government has created a legal framework that is conducive for growth of renewable energy utilization, including the establishment of Rural Energy Agency and the Rural Energy Fund. The agency addresses the promotion of applied research, awareness rising, and promotion of renewable energy utilization in the country. The government has also established appropriate fiscal and financial incentives for renewable energy development using the Rural Energy Fund. Import duties for most of the components of renewable energy systems were reduced from 25% to only 5%. Exemption of Value Added Tax on renewable energy equipment and components has been made by the government.

Challenges Facing Renewable Energy Development in Tanzania

The challenges facing the development of renewable energy in Tanzania include high costs of alternative energy vis-à-vis affordability by the majority poor, low technological capacity for sustainable deployment of renewable energy technologies, low awareness on alternative energy sources and renewable energy technologies; inadequate investments in renewable energy, the local banks and the inaccessibility of long term loans from micro-finance institutions. The finance institutions offer high interest rates for loans from commercial banks. The other challenges include the inadequate resources for up-scaling adoption of renewable energy technologies in Tanzania as well as the low purchasing power of end-users in the country.

Global Energy Initiatives

The international community is also taking some measures to promote the use of renewable energy globally, following the advantages mentioned above. The resolution 65/161 of the United Nations General Assembly declared 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. The resolution is one of such measures in recognizing that access to modern affordable energy services in developing countries. This is essential for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, and sustainable development. The use renewable energy would help to reduce poverty and improve the conditions and standards of living for the majority of the world’s population. The initiative was announced to the General Assembly in September 2011 and the aim is to coordinate partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society in order to meet three interlinked objectives by 2030. Ensuring universal access to modern energy services; doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and doubling the share in renewable energy worldwide. The governments, businesses and civil society organizations (CSOs) will take important steps to meet these objectives, but ultimately, success can only be achieved through strong, coordinated, and sustained effort by all stakeholders. Stakeholders engagement with the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative will take certain measures such as, developing country governments to build up national plans to advance energy access, and promote efficiency and renewable energy in ways that respond to national circumstances and priorities; regional and local governments, urban planners, and transportation

authorities can design policies and investments to encourage greater use of public transit, promote bicycling and walking, or heighten the adoption of alternative-fuel vehicles by investing in refueling infrastructure. Governments can also invest in retrofitting public buildings, which represent more than half of the total building stock and are projected to consume 40% of global energy by 2030. The donors and multilateral institutions engagement will be to provide technical assistance and policy guidance, to support knowledge and capacity building, to share best implementation practices and to make direct financial investments. The multilateral bank, for example, could work to strengthen local financial institutions in order to stimulate investment in clean energy projects while the businesses engagements will make commitments to increase energy efficiency and use renewable energy in its operations and supply chains and large international corporations can take the lead in their respective sectors. The Financial services companies can offer guidance to governments on policies to increase private-sector investment or partner with energy service companies that share the performance and/or the credit risk. The technology companies can undertake research and development to advance innovative technologies or adapt existing technologies to new circumstances while the civil society organizations engagements will use their flexibility, focused mission, and often times proximity to the energy poor to help communities implement sustainable energy initiatives, identifying appropriate and affordable technology, offer innovative mechanisms to lower up-front costs, and to develop business models and supply chains that attract investment. There are also collaborative efforts to strengthen the existing initiatives of all partners, progress sustainable energy uptake, identify opportunities, and develop individual commitments and collaborative partnerships. The Sustainable Energy for All initiative is a call to action to safeguard our collective future and therefore, all stakeholders must work together in order to achieve a broad-based transformation of the world’s energy systems over the next twenty years. The author of this article is the Senior Research Officer at the Department of Center for Development and Transfer of Technology (DCDTT) at COSTECH. The end.

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Did you ever know that coffee reduces breast cancer risk? Did you know that coffee drinkers enjoy not only the taste of their coffee but also many other things? If you never knew, please read on. ScienceDaily (May 11, 2011) — Recently published research shows that coffee drinkers enjoy not only the taste of their coffee but also a reduced risk of cancer with their cuppa. More detailed research published May 10 in BioMed Central's open access journal Breast Cancer Research shows that drinking coffee specifically reduces the risk of antiestrogen-resistant estrogen-receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer. Researchers from Sweden compared lifestyle factors and coffee consumption between women with breast cancer and age-matched women without. They found that coffee drinkers had a lower incidence of breast cancer than women who rarely drank coffee. However they also found that several lifestyle factors affected breast cancer rates, such as age at menopause, exercise, weight, education, and a family history of breast cancer. Once they had adjusted their data to account for these other factors they found that the protective effect of coffee on breast cancer was only measurable for ER-negative breast cancer.

Fig. 5: A cup of coffee. Photo courtesy of the internet.

The group from Karolinska Institutet explained that, "There is often conflicting information about the beneficial effects of coffee -- when we compared our results to that of a German study we discovered that their data showed the same trend, but the relationship was much weaker. We suggest that this may have something to do with the way the coffee was prepared, or the type of bean preferred. It is unlikely that the protective effect is due to phytoestrogens present in coffee since there was no reduction in the incidence of ER-positive cancer in this study." So while it is evident that coffee may have beneficial effects in protecting women from ER negative breast cancer the exact mechanism and compounds involved are not yet clear and not all types of coffee are the same. Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110510211602.htm

From October 25th - 28th, 2012 the Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), through the Directorate of Research Coordination and Promotion, (DRCP), organized a-four-day retreat that was attended by a team of staff from the Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute (MARI), Ifakara Health Institute (IHI), Tropical Pesticide Research Institute (TPRI), The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology (MCST), Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Co-operatives (MAFC), and the Vice President’s Office – Department of Environment (VPO-DOE). The team, comprised of the Biotechnology together with the Environmental Policy experts, came together to draft a Biotechnology manual which is in Kiswahili titled, Matumizi ya Bioteknolojia kwa Mendeleo Nchini. The manual intends to provide sensitization campaign to the Members of Parliament and the general public especially on the misled and misinformed information and even at times sheer speculative notions as to the whole concept of Biotechnology. The manual is divided into three sections whereby section one talks about the national biotechnology policy. Section two deals with the uses of the Biotechnology and section three deals with the the government strategy toward the biosafety of genetic engineering technology. The manual is geared up for the start of using genetic engineering to modify seeds and control diseases that inhibit crop growth. It covers the history of biotechnology, the uses of biotechnology in different sectors, the current status of biotechnology in the country, the speculated or feared side effects of biotechnology and the challenges in the development of biotechnology in the country; it also covers the biotechnology policy, laws and regulations, the biosafety centres of excellence, the procedures in applying for the biosafety permit, the attained advantages of biotechnology, challenges, role of stakeholders and the way forward. The team believes that the use of genetic engineering technology could help in combating food insecurity, the agricultural challenges caused by climate change such as drought, infection and harmful pets which among other things need insecticides to control them.

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RESEARCH SUMMARY, OCTOBER 2012By Salvatory J.S. Mushi Senior Research Officer DCDTT- COSTECH. RESEARCH TOPIC: Failures in Science and Mathematics (SMT) in Tanzania Secondary Schools raise concern to the government, public institutions and the public. RESEARCH SUMMARY: The importance of teaching and learning of science and mathematics in schools cannot be over emphasized, first for development of capacity for science and technology in the country and secondly, for socio-economic development. Expert panel organized by COSTECH recommended further review of Teaching and Learning Approaches; Teaching and Learning Resources; Assessment of Students Learning in Science; Laboratory Work; Attitude towards Science; Management Issues Pertaining to Science Teaching and Learning; and Monitoring and Evaluation of Science Teaching and Learning. Key Issues

Put more emphasis on teacher training process on state of the art teaching methods for SMT.

Improve monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of the education process.

Practical training must be given emphasis Purpose To build and increase the capacity in teaching and learning of science subjects and improve the quality of education.

Methodology Put more resources into the education system to enhance the teaching and learning of science subjects The research has confirmed that: On Teaching and learning Approaches The approach employed in the teaching of science can promote or hinder effective learning. Ottevanger (2001) reported that science teaching and learning in Sub-Saharan African countries are passive and dominated by traditional teacher centred chalk and talk with very little learner’s involvement. On Teaching and Learning Resources These resources include human, physical and financial resources; and all depend on each other. Teaching and learning requires use of interactive and participatory methods which demand the use of adequate and appropriate teaching/learning materials. Cooksey and Mmuya (1997) observe that the quality of education depends among other things, on the quality of teaching and learning materials available. The difficulty in getting qualified and enough science teachers, and retain them, is one of the greatest challenges facing the education sector in Tanzania. Driver (1995) asserts that even the best science curriculum cannot “teach itself”. The teacher’s role is central in helping students build understanding from science experiences. Kalafunja Osaki (Osaki 2007) asserts that, no education system can rise above the quality of its teachers.

On Assessment of Students Learning in Science Current science assessments are not well suited to assessing student attainment of the laboratory experiences. Although they are suited to measuring mastery of science subject matter, they are usually not appropriate for measuring such goals as scientific reasoning, understanding the complexity and ambiguity of empirical work and understanding of the nature of science, which are enhanced by laboratory work (Singer, 2006). The main type of assessment in Tanzania is pen and pencil (Kalugula, 2000). The assessment procedures have violated a number of key issues particularly in sciences where practical skills are not adequately assessed. This is partly due to the fact that too much focus is on final examinations whose main roles are certification and placement. On Laboratory Work For students to understand science well, they have to be involved in practical experience including: seeing, touching, hearing, tasting, smelling, classifying and analyzing. Many Tanzanian students in secondary school classrooms are missing such experience because they are not being taught the science subjects through practical activities. For more information about this research, please contact: smushi@costech.or.tz

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RESEARCH SUMMARY, OCTOBER 2012 By Salvatory J.S. Mushi Senior Research Officer DCDTT- COSTECH. RESEARCH TOPIC: Biogas Utilization at Domestic and Institutional Levels As an Alternative Fuel to Fuel wood in Tanzania. RESEARCH SUMMARY: Study report carried out by COSTECH recommends the use of biogas at the households and at the institutional levels as an alternative source of energy to fuel wood. Due to high rate of deforestation and environmental degradation caused by felling of trees for fuel, it is imperative that alternative energy resources be sought and exploited. This country is rich in biomass wastes as energy resource which can be used for domestic and institutional purposes and therefore efforts are needed to promote its utilization. The study on the biogas plant installed at the Azania Secondary School, which was facilitated by the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology, has shown that there is a breakthrough and potential for biogas utilization at domestic and institutional levels in Tanzania, in particular in schools, prisons and hospitals. Key Issues • Need to promote the use of biogas as

an alternative fuel to charcoal for both domestic and institutional levels.

• Other schools, prisons,, military and hospitals can tap the experience from Azania Secondary School which has saved 1.26 tons of charcoal per month.

Purpose Biogas utilization to reduce dependence on fuel wood and environment conservation.

Methodology Formulate strategies for promoting the technology and awareness creation on the use of biogas technology in households, schools, prisons, military and hospitals. In Tanzania, fuel wood and charcoal constitute the major sources of energy especially for households, both in rural communities and urban centers. The agro-industry consumes 18.5% of the fuel wood, whereas household activities use 81.5%. The most obvious consequences of the above trend of fuel wood energy consumption are deforestation, which results in the deterioration of the environment. Therefore, effective measures need to be taken to arrest the situation.

Given the prevailing deforestation and environmental threats due to felling of trees for fuel and the negative effects of this to the environment, it is appropriate that alternative viable energy sources be sought and exploited. The government of Tanzania has been emphasizing and has formulated policies geared towards encouraging the utilization of other available energy resources, including biogas. Biogas offers an appropriate solution. Biogas is an organically produced hydrocarbon fuel. It is produced through anaerobic digestion of organic materials. It typically consists of 75 % methane, 25 % carbon dioxide, moisture and may contain trace amounts of hydrogen sulphide. Most biogas plants use animal manure as their main feedstock. Using low calorie inputs like cattle dung, distillery effluent, or sewerage, makes methane generation in conventional biogas plants highly inefficient. Conventional biogas system occupies 6-20 cubic meters of space. Due to various reasons dung based biogas systems all over the world have proven to be unsustainable. 70% of waste is organic calorie rich organic waste serves as excellent feed stock for biogas production. Examples of feedstock are: spoilt/waste cooked food, food processing waste, spoilt grain, fruit and vegetables, non-edible rhizomes, seeds and fruits, waste flour, non-edible oil cake and green leafy.

Tanzania Commission for Science & Technology (COSTECH) financed the installation of Compact Biogas Systems at the Azania Secondary School in Dar es Salaam. The objective is to use food waste to generate cooking gas, to reduce the use of charcoal, to save money and prevent deforestation. The eeconomic benefits for using the biogas plant at Azania Secondary School include the following: the cost of the plant is Tshs. 8,585,000/=, monthly savings is Tshs. 675,000/=and the payback period is 12.7 months. The environmental benefits include reduced deforestation. Charcoal saved at Azania Secondary School is 22.5 bags/month. Forests saved are 0.17 hectares per month or 2.09 hectares per year. On reduced emissions, 1 ton of charcoal burned produces 9 tons of CO2 emissions. Charcoal saved at Azania Secondary School is 1.26 tons (22.5 bags x 56 kgs). The emissions reduced is 11.34 t/month or 136 .08 tons per year RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the success of the Azania

School Biogas Project, it is recommended that the Government of Tanzania (GoT) invest in scaling up the project to Government run boarding schools, prisons, military, and hospitals. The biogas system should be installed in all places where large quantity of charcoal or firewood is being used for cooking.

The government should exempt VAT on the materials used for the biogas systems to make it more affordable.

Incentive schemes should be

developed to encourage users to adopt this technology.

For more information about this research, please contact: smushi@costech.or.tz

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Fig. 6: A group picture featuring the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TAEC) management team, the COSTECH management team together with some of the University of Manchester lecturers when they visit the COSTECH on October 3rd, 2012.

Fig. 7: A portion of the Commissioners during the 67th meeting of the Commission that was held at COSTECH on October 7th, 2012.

Fig. 8: CPTM Smart Partnership Movement Chairman Sri Datuk Dr. Omar Abdul Rahman (left) together with the CEO of CPTM Dr. Mihaela Smith address the COSTECH employees (not pictured) when they paid a visit at the Commission on October 9th, 2012.

Fig. 9: Tanzania and South Africa experts pose for a group picture after their meeting on scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries that took place at COSTECH on October 11th, 2012

Fig. 10: The Acting Chief Accountant Mr. Yusuph Laiza, gives a presentation on the status of the SIDA-funded projects to some of the COSTECH staff on 12th October 2012.

Fig. 11: Tanzania Biotechnology experts from MARI, IHI, TPRI, UDSM, MCST, MAFC and COSTECH exchanging ideas during drafting of the Biotechnology Manual on October 27th, 2012.

Fig. 12: Some of the Vice President’s Office – Department of Environment staff exchanging ideas when then convened at COSTECH to draft the Biotechnology Manual on October 28th, 2012.

Fig. 13: COSTECH Director General, Dr. Hassan Mshinda, stresses a point to the Biotechnology and Environmental Policy experts (not pictured) when they connvened at the COSTECH to discuss the final draft of the Biotechnology Manual on October 29th, 2012. Looking on is Prof. Evelyne Mbede, the Director for Science and Technology at the Minister of Communication, Science and Technology.

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Upcoming Event

Public Lecture

INVITATION TO ATTEND A PUBLIC LECTURE BY ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING

JOURNAL PUBLISHERS AT THE COSTECH ON 5th

DECEMBER, 2012.

The Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) has the pleasure to

invite you all to attend a Public Lecture/Presentation which will be conducted by the

Elsevier Publishing Company, one of the world’s leading publishing houses. The

lecture/presentation will take place in the COSTECH Conference Hall on the 5th of

December, 2012 from 9:00 – 12:30 p.m.

This session is intended to understand Tanzania’s current R&D capabilities and share case

studies and best practices among Tanzania’s scientific and academic communities.

Elsevier will make a presentation on their study results on Tanzania, areas of

improvement and ways to enhance them. The session will focus on concrete models and

tools that can be undertaken in Tanzania and increase Tanzania’s research visibility and

international collaborations.

Based in Amsterdam, Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical, and

medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the

global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The

Lancet and Cell, and close to 20, 000 book titles, including major reference works from

Mosby and Saunders. Today Elsevier is driving innovation by delivering authoritative

content with cutting-edge technology, allowing its customers to find the answers they

need quickly.

You are all welcome.

So, what do you think of this e-Newsletter?

If you have any comments or suggestions on how we can improve this newsletter, or have any feature story to share, please email

the editor at mrutechura@costech.or.tz