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Emerging trends in smart libraries: A systematic review of university needs, sustainability, and challenges
(SAGE Publications, 2026-05-03) Mosha, Neema; Ngulube, Patrick
The rapid advancement of technology has transformed academic libraries into smart libraries that use emerging technologies to enhance user experience and access to information. This systematic review of the literature published between 2015 and 2025 examines the development and operation of smart libraries in universities, focussing on key requirements, sustainability strategies, and implementation challenges. Findings indicate that successful smart libraries rely on modern technologies, robust infrastructure, continuous staff training, and clear governance policies. Common challenges include limited funding, data management difficulties, insufficient technical expertise, and legal constraints. Universities that implement smart library solutions report improved access and higher user satisfaction, highlighting their transformative potential. This review provides policymakers and educational leaders with actionable insights to guide effective implementation and foster innovation and lifelong learning.
Conservation Planning for Promoting Ecosystem Service Provisioning Outside Protected Area Networks
(John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2025-11-17) Tarimo, Florence; Moyo, Francis; Kelly, Claire; Munishi, Linus
Among factors that contribute to global biodiversity loss, habitat loss through unsustainable land use and land cover changes has gained prominence, with impacts being exacerbated by increasing human populations. Establishing protected area networks (PANs) is strongly advocated by national and international mechanisms, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), as a primary strategy to guide biodiversity conservation and management; however, this can undermine conservation efforts outside protected areas. Understanding how people and biodiversity overlap and interact outside protected area networks (OPAN areas) is essential for setting realistic, sustainable targets to guide biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision beyond PAN. However, how OPAN areas can sustain or enhance ecosystem services (ESs) through improved conservation and management remains unassessed. We applied a novel ecosystem-based conservation (EBC) framework, using data from Tanzania, to assess how biodiversity and land use/land cover (LULC) types shape the monetary value of selected ESs in OPAN areas, and in future scenarios where restoration of priority wildlife corridors is implemented by 2030. Across the six ecosystems and four LULC types assessed, waterbody delivered the highest ES value (US$12.8 billion) through water provision and flood control. OPAN areas in miombo woodland also yielded high value (US$12.4 billion), with 46% from flood control and 54% from water provision and carbon storage. ES values varied across OPANs, mainly driven by relative size and degradation level. Restoring 197,497 ha of degraded land within 53 prioritised wildlife corridors in Tanzania could generate up to US$62.8 million annually in ESs under full restoration, and US$31.4 million under partial restoration, with carbon storage contributing over 90% of total value. Policy implications: The spatial heterogeneity and ES overlap observed highlight the need to integrate OPANs into the EBC framework, linking local restoration gains with national policies and global biodiversity frameworks.
Nature-based approaches to invasive plant management: Insights from East African rangelands for sub-Saharan landscape restoration
(John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2026-03-01) Ngondya, Issakwisa; Treydte, Anna; Ndakidemi, Patrick; Munishi, Linus
Worldwide, there is increasing recognition in the application of nature-based solutions (NbS) that can be generated among others from nature-based approaches (NbA) to restore degraded natural habitats.
This paper reports systematic evidence established from performing a series of laboratory, screen house (ex situ) and field (in situ) experiments for over a decade to collate and communicate the effectiveness of NbA for managing ecosystems degraded by invasive plants. We first tested ex situ (2015–2017); the effect of Desmodium uncinatum leaf extracts and re-seeding of a native grass Cynodon dactylon on the growth and development of selected species of the family Asteracea following a completely randomized design (CRD). We then tested in situ (2018–2020) by targeting invasive plants of the same family in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) by setting 12 pilot blocks of 28 × 28 m, following a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The in situ trials were conducted to assess the effectiveness of C. dactylon re-seeding, spraying of D. uncinatum leaf extract and D. uncinatum seeding on invasive plant species ground cover, native plant species diversity and invasive and native plants' seedling density. The in situ trials were then followed by a validation workshop (2020–2021) and later on (2022 onwards) the approach was up-scaled.
Compared to control plots, in situ we found that our NbA were able to reduce invasion by over 60%. The highest level of invasive plant suppression was observed when 6.65 g/m2 of Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers) and 100% Silver leaf Desmodium (Desmodium uncinatum (Jacq.) DC.) leaf extract were reseeded and sprayed, respectively. This improved forage species diversity by four species and reduced the number of germinated invasive plant seeds by over 85%. These two treatments further improved the soil seedbank of forage species by over 55%.
Practical implication: Taken together with the ex situ evidence, the in situ evidence suggests that invasive plants, often dominated by the family Asteraceae, can be effectively controlled in sub-Saharan Africa landscapes by our novel NbA while simultaneously restoring them. Our results inform wider landscape level restoration actions to prevent and mitigate further invasive plants' encroachment and associated negative effects
Cracks in the Earth: Why is East Africa losing its soil?
(Frontiers, 2026-05-05) Wynants, Maarten; Amasi, Aloyce; Blake, William; Boeckx, Pascal; Brooks, Andrew; Kelly, Claire; Lizaga, Ivan; Munishi, Linus
In East Africa, soil is being washed away from the land into rivers faster than ever. This is because of changes in how people interact with their land, soil, and plants. First, forests were cut down to make farms. Later, growing numbers of animals overgrazed grasslands. Without trees and grasses to protect the soil, heavy rain quickly began washing it away. Steep, deep cuts in the land, called gullies, then form and keep growing faster and faster, carrying away soil, water, nutrients, and even seeds. This makes it hard for plants to grow back. In response, people are starting to take action. They are using traditional tools to slow down water, regrow plants, and fix damaged land. However, they need help from governments and scientists to apply these solutions to bigger gullies and across larger regions. Protecting healthy soils is important so that people in East African can keep producing enough food in the future.
IoT-Based System for Maintaining Constant Taste of Ginger-Flavoured Alcohol: A Case of Eden Business Center, Rwanda
(Springer Nature, 2026-04-01) Ingabire, Speciose; Naman, Godfrey; Sinde, Ramadhani; Leo, Judith
The beverage industry, particularly the flavoured alcohol sector, plays a role in the development of Rwanda since most of people consume ginger beer due to its lower cost, demand, spacy medicine, and small alcohol volume. Regardless the increase of several this approach proposes to address these challenges however; it does not fully solve the issue. In this paper, a smart IoT-based system monitoring proposes to address the flavour consistency issue faced by the beverage industries. The proposed solution aims to enhance the monitoring and controlling the production and fermentation process through real-time data collection and remote control capabilities. By leveraging IoT technologies, sensor networks, cloud computing, and mobile application were used. The proposed study enables efficient monitoring of key parameters such pH, temperature, alcohol and concentration. Moreover, it facilitates rapid control and timely interventions by altering the user about the active data on the ginger beer status. The experimental results prove that the system has great prospect and it is for beverage industries usage. The ginger industry is seeing improvements and evolution in today's technology. Ginger is an upright perennial plant that grows to a height of three feet and a width of 1.5–6 cm. It thrives in well-drained soil and in areas that receive some shade. Ginger may be cultivated in both irrigated and rain-fed environments.