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Mbeya University of Science and Technology Repository (MUST Repository) is an open-access digital platform dedicated to the collection, preservation, management, and dissemination of the University’s official scholarly and institutional resources. Authorized by the University and aligned with national academic and research objectives, the repository ensures that valuable institutional knowledge remains securely preserved and easily accessible to researchers, students, staff, and the wider public.
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Recent Submissions
Performance Dynamics of Batch Arrival Feedback Queue With General Second Optional Services, Server Breakdown and Standby Server
(AIMS, 2026) Pikkala, Vijaya L.; Kisakali, Justin; Gilaka, Anjalidevi; Qrewi, Hasan A.
This paper aims to analyze the steady state behavior of a bulk
input general service queue with second optional service, breakdowns, general
repair, and delay times. The server may experience random failures during the
first essential and second optional services, and we assume there is a delay be-
fore the server starts the repair process. The system is equipped with a standby
server, which provides service to the customers only when the main server is
under repair due to sudden failure or during the delay time for repair to start.
Moreover, the service times first essential service and second optional service,
delay times, and repair times have a general distribution, while the breakdown
times and standby service times follow an exponential distribution. The steady
state probabilities are computed using the probability generating function. Fi-
nally, numerical illustrations of performance measures are provided
A Systematic Review of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge for Climate Change Adaptation in East Africa.
(Regional Institute of Information and Knowledge Management., 2026-04-06) Nyinondi, Philbert S; Martinus E. Sospeter
Rationale of study - Climate change adaptation has been a global priority in recent years, with governments, the private sector, the international community, and individuals focusing their available resources on these challenges. Indigenous ecological knowledge has been a strategic resource for climate change adaptation among people living in limited-resource environments, such as farmers and pastoralists. Therefore, this study was conducted to systematically review the indigenous knowledge used in the efforts to adapt to the climate change impacts in East Africa.
Methodology - The study followed the PRISMA protocol and included articles published between 2009 and 2023. Only articles published in the English language were included in the study. The data were analysed through thematic analysis.
Findings - The study revealed that farmers and pastoralists in East Africa use indigenous knowledge based on ecological indicators, such as observing changes in the behaviour of insects, birds, plants, and animals, as well as celestial bodies and wind directions, to predict weather and climate patterns. The use of indigenous water resource management and traditional irrigation practices is key to surviving droughts and dry seasons. However, the sharing and adoption of indigenous knowledge remain challenges due to contextual differences across tribes and cultural practices in East Africa.
Implication of the study - The study suggests that climate change adaptation strategies in East Africa must move beyond functional resilience to climate change to indigenous-ecological relational continuity strategies, building on what already exists among smallholder farmers and pastoralists across the region. Furthermore, climate change intervention must align with the community’s perception of indigenous ecological knowledge, incorporate it into the strategy, and not rely entirely on the scientific resilience system.
Originality - The study calls for more research on gender and the social effects of using indigenous ecological knowledge in climate change adaptation. It includes testing the framework of relational continuity, understanding its community-based conceptualisation, and its impact on climate adaptation in East African communities.
Experimental and Applied Entomology: Contributions of Dipterans to Pollination Services and Biological Control
(Wiley, 2026-04-17) Ojija Fredick, Bacaro Giovanni, Mgimba Christopher
ABSTRACT
Diptera form one of the most diverse and functionally important insect groups, yet their ecological contributions to biodiversity
maintenance and ecosystem services remain underrecognized and underrepresented in research and conservation planning.
This review was undertaken to synthesize current evidence on the functional ecology of Diptera, highlight their roles in pollination
services and biological control and identify knowledge gaps that limit their integration into biodiversity conservation and
ecosystem management. A systematic search of peer-reviewed
articles was conducted by analyzing 83 studies from 114 screened
sources. The review reveals that Diptera contribute substantially to pollination and biological control. They visit approximately
72% of the world's major crops and dominate pollination networks in alpine, arctic and shaded habitats where bees are scarce.
Several families of Diptera, including Syrphidae, Bombyliidae, Calliphoridae and Muscidae provide pollination services valued
in the hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Predatory and parasitoid species in Syrphidae, Tachinidae and Cecidomyiidae
deliver natural pest suppression estimated at nearly US$100 billion annually. Overall, this review demonstrate that Diptera play
indispensable roles in sustaining ecosystem processes, agricultural productivity and ecological resilience. However, major gaps
persist in quantifying their contributions to pollination and pest regulation, particularly in tropical and developing regions. The
review concludes that advancing dipteran research through targeted ecological studies, long-term
monitoring and integrative
conservation strategies is essential for safeguarding ecosystem functioning and human well-being.
EFFECTIVENESS OF URBAN LAND DEVELOPMENT CONTROL IN TANZANIA
(Bern Convention,, 2017-11-05) John, Benjamin Mashalla
It is conceived that there are fairly adequate land development control instruments
and regulations spearheading towards effective urban land developments in
urbanizing areas of Tanzania. Yet there is visual evidence on the non-compliance to
the governing legal framework when it is operationalized on ground. The urban
authorities which act as custodians in all matters regarding urban land developments
have proved a failure to accommodate the fast urban developments coupled with
high urban population influx rate in urban centres. For instance in Tanzania there is a
high rate of uncontrolled urban land developments in both planned and unplanned
settlements within the jurisdiction of urban authorities.
This study therefore seeks to investigate the performance of urban land development
control measures in Tanzania amidst the presence of sound regulatory framework,
programmes and projects focused at attaining sustainable and effective urban land
developments in Tanzania. This study documents sensitive issues with the view of
improving practical solutions to promote effective urban land development control in
urban areas with a case study approach done in Mbeya city taking three units of
analysis, two planned neighbourhoods of Iwambi and Itezi and one old unplanned
neighbourhood of Iwambi.
Both qualitative and quantitative data collection approach have been adopted, where
most data taken and recorded from key informants are qualitative in nature.
Moreover exclusive official interviews, questionnaires and field observations were
instituted to supplement each other to achieve a sound data triangulation.
Study findings show that there is ineffective urban land development control in
Mbeya city due to poor institutional coordination, high building standards,
bureaucratic logistics in issuance of construction permits, un-streamlined procedures
on land delivery system, corrupt practices among vetted government officials,
contradicting sections in enacted legislations, meagre resources towards
implementation of effective urban land development control and unrealistic pace of
the local governments in surveying and ultimately allocating planned and serviced
plots amidst the unprecedented urban population growth.
Public Perception of Climate Risk and Adaptation in Tanzania: a Systematic Review
(Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2023-12-30) Nyinondi, P.S; Sospeter, M.E.
Climate change is a pressing global challenge of the 21st century, with impacts including global
warming, drought, famine, floods, tropical storms, and cyclones. One of the biggest challenges to
mitigating climate change is people's perception of its risks. This study provides valuable insights
on the public perception of climate risk and adaptation in Tanzania through a systematic review
of peer-reviewed papers. The search was conducted using keywords related to climate change
awareness, knowledge, perception, attitude, and risk adaptation from the Sokoine University of
Agriculture Institutional repository (SUAIR) for publications between 2010 and 2022, 48 peer
reviewed articles were reviewed. The review found that there is a high level of awareness (87.5%) of
climate change, with many (77%) recognizing its impacts on their daily lives in terms of economic
activities and gender roles. However, the perception of climate risk varies depending on factors
such as gender, location, and socioeconomic status. For example, people living in rural areas
perceived climate risks such as floods and drought more than those in urban areas did. Attitudes
towards climate change adaptation also vary among different groups, with some people such as
farmers more resilient and willing to adapt than pastoralists, people living in urban areas than
people living in rural areas. The review identifies knowledge gaps in understanding the causes
and impacts of climate change. Overall, this systematic review provides a comprehensive picture
of current knowledge and understanding of the public perception of risk adaptation in Tanzania,
highlighting areas for further research and policy action.