EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
18
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
EXCELLENCE
IN RESEARCH
23
Preserving the environment
and its resources
30
Improving the health of populations
in the South countries
34
Understanding changes in
developing societies
IRD heads regional inter- and cross-disciplinary research projects in
the three main research fields of health, societies, and environment
and resources. Thus, alongside its partners from the South,
it endeavours to rise to the major challenges for sustainable
development posed by climate change, the erosion of biodiversity,
threatened food security, the emergence of infectious diseases,
and the intensification and increasing complexity of globalisation.
Understanding the effects of these planetary changes, the
adaptation of societies to their impact, and the attenuation of their
consequences are major research challenges and core issues for
countries of the global South.
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
19
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
Interdisciplinary research to respond to the
challenges faced by countries of the South
With the goal of running research projects built jointly with countries of
the South, IRD invites partner institutions to contribute to its scientific
programming, most notably through ICLs (international combined
laboratories) and PPRs (regional pilot programmes). Based on shared
North-South coordination, these vehicles for scientific cooperation aim
to structure research capacities in the South and encourage North-South
and South-South partnerships.
The PPRs are a framework for scientific coordination and activities on an
equal North-South footing, mobilising and organising a network comprising
a wide range of scientific teams with the aim of exploring major research
questions according to a regional, multidisciplinary approach. They aim
for greater involvement of partners in the South in setting up, managing,
and steering programmes, strengthening the impact of research carried
out on public policies, supporting training and innovation, and creating
a favourable context for obtaining co-funding for research in the countries
of the South.
In 2014, two new PPRs were awarded the IRD label:
• PPR SEAO: children's health in West Africa;
• PPR Cute: integrated study into the dynamic interactions between the
components of coast systems and upwelling, to ensure the sustainability
of these ecosystems and human activity.
Rice genetics (LMI Rice)/Vietnam
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IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
These new PPRs come in addition to the programmes launched in 2011 and
2012. They make for a total of eight PPRs covering the priority themes in
the IRD's 2011-2015 performance contract: biodiversity, global changes, and
health in central African tropical rain-forests (FTH); rural communities,
the environment, and the climate in West Africa (SREC); environmental
dynamics, resources, and societies in Amazonia (AMAZ), heritage, resources,
and governance in Eastern and Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean
(PAREGO); public policies, communities, and globalisation in Sub-Saharan
Africa (POLMAF); soils, water, coastal areas, and communities faced with
risks in South and Southeast Asia (SELTAR).
Launched in 2008, the ICLs are research bodies set up under joint NorthSouth management and housed in the premises of a partner(s) from the
South. They are based on a long-term commitment and promote the
development of research, training and innovation activities based on
joint projects using shared platforms (laboratories, equipment, computer,
document and other resources).
In 2014, two new ICLs, the outcome of the 2013 call for projects, were
launched:
• C osys-Med: contaminants and ecosystems in the southern
Mediterranean (Sfax and Bizerte, Tunisia);
• Meso: mobilities, governance and resources in the Mesoamerican basin
(Mexico City, Mexico, San José and Costa Rica).
In addition, on the basis of evaluations carried out by North-South expert
committees and completed by the opinions of IRD's Scientific Council, four
ICLs created in 2009 and assessed in 2013 were renewed for a further five
years:
• Icemasa: International Centre for Education, Marine and Atmospheric
Sciences over Africa (South Africa, Cape Town);
• Cefirse, the French-Indian Water Sciences Research Unit (India,
Bangalore);
• Paleotrace, Tropical Paleo-climatology: markers and variabilities
(Brazil, Rio);
• OCE, the Observatory for environmental changes (Brazil, Brasilia).
A new joint evaluation session was completed in 2014, covering the three
ICLs created in 2010:
• Discoh: Dynamics of the Humboldt Current System (Lima, Peru);
• Rice: Rice Functional Genomics and Plant Biotechnology (Hanoi,
Vietnam);
• Lavi: Ando-Amazonian laboratory of living chemistry (Lima, Peru).
These evaluations led to the renewal of the ICLs' activity for a second period.
LENGGURU 2014
The Lengguru 2014 inter-disciplinary expedition
included surveys of the biodiversity of the Papuan
karsts for greater understanding of the genealogy
of local species. For six weeks, IRD researchers and
their Indonesian and European colleagues explored
the Lengguru massif to collect data on three types
of environment: marine, land and underground. The
expedition brought together ichthyologists, botanists,
ornithologists, herpetologists; entomologists, marine
biologists, hydrologists and so on. Hundreds of
specimens were collected, between 100 metres below
sea level to 1,400 metres altitude. They are witness to
the exceptional biodiversity of the local ecosystems.
Going beyond the scientific aspects of the expedition,
this programme aims to develop a sustainable,
responsible partnership between IRD and the
founding Indonesian institutions.
For more information:
www.lengguru.org
Speleologists in the field/
West Papua
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
46%
OF JOINT PUBLICATIONS
WITH SOUTHERN PARTNERS
INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS
BETWEEN 2006 AND 2013
4,000
Publications: high visibility for IRD
IRD's scientific output within the UMRs amounts to more than 3,650 articles.
Looking at Web of Science, 2,225 publications mention IRD in their affiliates.
This number has tripled over the past ten years with growth exceeding the
French average (growth of 40%). The number of articles published by IRD
researchers has increased by approximately 3% and reached 1,476 references
in the Web of Science1 . This represents a 40% increase since 2006.
The publications enjoy high visibility: 54% of these articles are featured in
high-impact journals in their category2 and more than 16% in journals of
excellence. Every researcher contributes an average of two publications.
The rate of joint publications with countries of the South has now reached
46%. This indicator remains above the average recorded since 2006 and the
number of publications made jointly with countries of the South has doubled
over a ten-year period.
Year-on-year growth is significant for North Africa and the Middle East, and
strong for the Asia-Pacific zone. However, it has stabilised in Latin America
and West and Central Africa. These joint publications with the South mainly
concern Brazil, Tunisia, Cameroon, Senegal and South Africa.
In social sciences, IRD researchers have published 271 articles, 59 books
and 212 book chapters identified in the Horizon database3. A new indicator specific to these disciplines was established in 2011 for the performance
contract. It draws on a reference system built using AERES lists. A hundred
and thirty-three articles fall within this reference system, i.e. around half of
the articles produced.
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
Soledad village in
Amazonia/Peru
1,000
500
0
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
JOINT PUBLICATIONS WITH THE SOUTH IN MAJOR
REGIONS IN 2013.
250
200
150
100
50
0
East Africa,
Southern
Africa, Indian
Ocean
1
2
3
2013 data.
Subject categories of Web of Science.
IRD documentary resource database.
West
and Central
Africa
Mediterranean
Latin
America
Asia,
Pacific
Publications with an IRD author
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
21
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
Ethical issues at the heart of partnerships
Research ethics and professional conduct are key values for the Institute,
with regards to other national research institutions and to partners from
the South. The role of the ethics and professional conduct advisory board
(or the CCDE) is to encourage thinking on research ethics within IRD, taking
into account its specific nature.
The board issued opinions on request from researchers, mainly with
regard to research protocols in the biomedical field. It invited directors
from various research departments to diversify the scientific fields involved
in the opinions requested from the CCDE.
The board conducted a series of hearings, to discuss various questions
and especially those raised by joint publications with partners from the
South, the future of population observatories, and the ethical aspects of
the research carried out with partners. These hearings tightened the links
with the French national commission for the UNESCO, the committees of
other research organisations such as Inserm and Cirad and the national
ethics committee.
During the sessions, the members of the CCDE presented the organisation of ethics in their home countries: Laos, Brazil, Niger, Switzerland and
Belgium.
The board also initiated the organisation of a colloquium on research ethics
in Laos, to be held in late 2015.
Team work
on nutrition /
Vietnam
22
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
Meeting Papuan guides, Lengguru
expedition/West Papua
THE EVALUATION OF SCIENTIFIC OUTPUT
The evaluation of scientific output is based on a set of rules and procedures inspired by the requirements of
impartiality, integrity and fairness.
The French High Council for the evaluation of research and higher education (HCERES), founded in 2014,
is responsible for assessing institutions and their research units, and validating the procedures applied
by internal assessment organisations within institutions to assess individual researchers and to "take into
account [...] all the tasks appointed to them by law and their specific articles". Peer assessment is one
of its underlying principles. It mainly concerns research staff (two-yearly assessment of the Institute's
800 researchers, promotion researcher recruitment, and examination of engineers' and technicians' activity).
The Institute's scientific assessment bodies (four sector-based scientific commissions, or CSSs, and two
commissions for the management and application of research, or CGRAs, totalling 150 members) were thus
convened to twelve plenary sessions and eight application boards called to oversee competitive recruitment
programmes. Most notably, their work concerned the two-yearly assessment of 430 researchers, through the
assessment of their level of activity, their research, training and innovation output and the involvement of
partners from the South in this.
In its role as the Institute's body for reflection and proposals in the area of scientific policy, the Scientific
Council was called three times. In addition to the regulatory notices provided for in the texts, the Council
issued four general opinions on international combined laboratories (ICLs), guidelines for expatriation, the
competitive recruitment of researchers and the European positioning of the Institute.
1
PROTECTING THE
ENVIRONMENT AND
ITS RESOURCES
Volumes 2 and 3 of the fifth report from the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (GIEC), published in 2014, clearly
demonstrate the impacts of human activity on the climatic
system and list the effects of current climate change on
natural and anthropogenic systems. These conclusions are
based on a growing body of scientific work. The research
carried out by IRD's teams help understand the mechanisms
behind these changes, measure the consequences and put
forward policies aimed at better anticipating these changes
and attenuating the effects.
24
25
26
27
28
29
Ocean and climate: new approaches
Earthquakes and landslides
Sustainable management of agro-ecosystems: a participative approach
Coral fish: multifaceted threats
Land use: a move towards sustainable agricultural practices
When human action goes against natural dynamics
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
23
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ITS RESOURCES
OCEAN AND CLIMATE:
NEW APPROACHES
Characterising climate risks, especially in terms of extreme events,
is essential when it comes to anticipating the measures to be taken in
the short and medium term. A real qualitative leap compared to previous
methods has been enabled thanks to spatial approaches used to measure
the salinity of seawater and modelling at various scales.
SMOS satellite
CONTACT
Christophe Maes - Ocean Physics Laboratory – LPO
(CNRS/Ifremer/IRD/University of West Brittany)
christophe.maes@ird.fr
Resource: Surveys in Geophysics
T
he SMOS1 and Aquarius satellite missions, the former launched at
the end of 2009 by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the latter
in 2011 by NASA and the Argentinian space agency, have made it
possible to accurately measure the salinity of the oceans. This data is
essential in understanding the global ocean/atmosphere/continental system.
In fact, the salinity of seawater is an indicator of the presence of an ocean
layer known as the "salt stratified barrier layer", located several dozen metres
below the water's surface. This is characteristic of the tropical West Pacific
and influences exchanges between the ocean and the atmosphere, playing
a major role in the onset of El Niño and global climatic variability.
Satellites observe the evolution of salinity in surface water, depending
on precipitation over oceans or the estuaries of the big rivers, such as the
Amazon or Orinoco. The satellite data is used to track freshwater plumes
over long distances, which in situ measurements could not do reliably.
Researchers have demonstrated that these variations in salinity and surface
temperature, due to the periodical inflow of freshwater, had an impact
on ocean/atmosphere exchanges and, as such, on the perpetuation and
intensification of tropical cyclones.
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IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
These innovative ways of measuring salinity, paired with data on surface
temperatures, and the level of oceans and currents, can be used to develop
understanding and more accurately model the role of ocean salinity on the
evolution and intensity of the global water cycle. By enhancing the ocean
dynamics forecasting and surveillance system, they enable the study of more
extreme climatic phenomena such as cyclones. Anticipating the risks related
to these events is a sizeable economic and social challenge for populations
in countries of the South.
1
Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity.
BENIN
Partner
CASIMIR DA ALLADA
Post-doctoral researcher at the Ocean
Physics Laboratory.
"I work with IRD researchers and others from my
own country, Benin, within the framework of a
research project based on the combined use of in
situ observations and satellite measurements of
surface salinity. Our goal is to better understand
regional ocean dynamics in the gulf of Guinea,
where the African monsoon develops. This
climatic phenomenon is of major importance for
the societies and economies of all neighbouring
countries. This research and the training that
goes with it are, in my view, highly beneficial for
Benin and for the entire Sub-Saharan region of
Africa, which still lacks specialists in physical
oceanography."
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ITS RESOURCES
EARTHQUAKES
AND LANDSLIDES
PERU
Partner
LIONEL FIDEL
Landslides are responsible for almost 10,000 victims every year. Nearly 60% of
landslides are triggered by earthquakes. IRD researchers and their Peruvian partners
have, for the first time, measured and modelled ground displacements related
to seismic shocks. Their results will make it possible to better characterise these
phenomena.
Director of the "environment" department
at INGEMMET, Peru.
"The work done by INGEMMET, in liaison with IRD in
the Maca region, has helped us identify the causes
of land movements and to determine the factors that
cause them and their characteristics. This information
is highly important when it comes to putting forward
risk prevention measures and, above all, preventing
the loss of precious human lives."
CONTACT
Pascal Lacroix - UMR ISTerre – Institute of Earth Sciences (IRD/
CNRS/Iffstar/Université Joseph Fourier (Grenoble 1) /Université
de Savoie)
pascal.lacroix@ird.fr
Resource: Geophysical Research Letters
L
andslides are geological phenomena during which a mass of earth
suddenly or gradually collapses along a fracture surface. They are
triggered by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, storms or heavy rain.
They have a significant impact on populations, especially along
the Pacific coast of South America, one of the most active seismic areas
of the world. During earthquakes in mountainous regions, nearly a third
of victims can be attributed to these phenomena, triggered by the tremor.
Despite the damage caused, the mechanics of ground displacement as a
result of seismic action are still poorly understood.
Researchers from IRD and INGEMMET1 used GPS to monitor a landslide
reactivated by an earthquake in Maca, southern Peru, in July 2013. The
data demonstrated that the ground's response was simultaneous with
the tremor, with concomitant displacement of 2 cm, but the phenomenon
continued for five weeks, during which the extent of displacement tripled,
to reach 6 cm.
Thanks to these observations, the researchers also modelled the
mechanics of the landslide and highlighted behaviour similar to that of
active faults in response to major earthquakes. This analogy opens new
perspectives for research into active tectonic faults. Due to their smaller
dimensions, more superficial nature and greater kinetics, landslides
are good subject matter, enabling characterisation of fault friction
parameters.
The Maca landslide, whose effects are still felt today, covers a surface area
of 1 km². It led to the evacuation of a village of around 900 inhabitants,
located in the Colca valley, 70 km north-east of Arequipa. It also led
to the collapse of a much-used tourist route (160,000 visitors a year)
and threatens the pre-Inca terraces. Understanding these phenomena
would eventually make it possible to introduce suitable and effective risk
prevention policies and, as a result, better protection for populations.
1
Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico
Study of a
landslide/Peru
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
25
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ITS RESOURCES
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
OF AGRO-ECOSYSTEMS:
A PARTICIPATIVE APPROACH
A study carried out in the Rungwe volcanic province in Tanzania, describes
the evolution of agro-ecosystems in the light of climatic, economic and
demographic changes, from the warm irrigated plains to the upland forests.
Landscape in the Rungwe
province/Tanzania
CONTACT
David Williamson - UMR LOCEAN (IRD/CNRS/Université
Pierre et Marie Curie/Muséum national d’histoire
naturelle)
david.williamson@ird.fr
Resource: Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability
A
gro-ecosystems in mountainous areas obtain their water and
nutritional resources in tropical zones. However, their response to
climatic variations, changes in land use and growing populations
is not yet fully understood, especially in central and east Africa.
IRD researchers and their partners in Kenya and Tanzania1 have carried
out a study in the province of Rungwe, subject to climatic variations
and significant anthropogenic pressure. In fact, in this agricultural
region, the population grew by 38% between 1988 and 2012. In addition,
climate records show a strong tendency towards aridification with
rising temperatures and rainfall dropping by 30% over the last 35 years.
Farming practices have evolved in response to these changes, leading
to deforestation, the fragmentation of habitats and the baring of soils
resulting in greater erosion, landslides and losses of organic carbon, and
hence fertility. Demand has grown for water in the plains to irrigate crops
and livestock, making it necessary to draw water from aquifers at midaltitude. This example shows that changes in farming practices combined
with climate change contribute to aridification.
26
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
For the sustainable use of resources and to ensure food safety, researchers
recommend further cross-disciplinary studies, combining biophysical
and social/economic analyses. The involvement of local communities
in monitoring agro-ecosystems would also appear to be key. An original
participative approach, based on environmental watch work organised
with the local rural populations, has been set up with this goal in mind2.
An educational aspect is also included, applied in schools in the region.
1
2
World Agroforestery Centre (ICRAF) - Kenya and Institute of Resource Assessment (IRA) - Tanzania.
The Rungwe Environmental Science Observatory Network (RESON, University of Dar es Salaam).
TANZANIA
Partner
PR AMOS E. MAJULE
RESON Coordinator, University
of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
"This project, run in cooperation with IRD, raises
some important questions about the management
of natural resources in mountainous areas.
Getting the local community involved is a sound
way of gathering relevant data. This participative
approach also helps improve the perception
of climate change among the populations
directly involved in managing their resources
and developing the most suitable adaptation
strategies."
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ITS RESOURCES
CORAL FISH:
MULTIFACETED THREATS
Coral reefs and related ecosystems are reservoirs of biodiversity but are under major
threat from natural and anthropogenic interference. An international study headed
by IRD and its partners1 has, for the first time ever, revealed the effects of human
activity on all the factors contributing to the diversity of coral fish communities in the
South Pacific.
CONTACT
Laurent Vigliola - Tropical marine ecology
of the Pacific and Indian Oceans - UMR ENTROPIE
(IRD-CNRS-Université Réunion)
laurent.vigliola@ird.fr
Resource: Current Biology
A
ccording to the World Resources Institute, 75% of coral reefs
are endangered at global level. This figure is set to hit 100% by
2050. These figures are even more disturbing when we recall
that the coral reefs contribute directly to the nutritional and economic
requirements of the populations in many developing countries, thanks
to the exceptional biodiversity that they shelter. While the phylogenetic
diversity, reflecting the evolutionary history of the communities of species,
is recognised for its immense heritage value, the functional diversity, in
other words the number of functions covered by fish within the reef, has
long been neglected in impact studies.
Thanks to the sampling of more than 1,500 fish communities, done by
underwater counting in 17 South Pacific countries, researchers have
assessed the levels of taxonomic (number of species), functional and
phylogenetic diversity of a group of species along a human population
density profile ranging from 1.3 to 1,705 inhabitants per km² of reef.
This social/ecological data was collected within the framework of the
PROCFish and CoFish projects coordinated by the Secretariat of the Pacific
Community and funded by the European Union.
NEW
CALEDONIA
Partner
LINDSAY CHAPMAN
Director of the Observatory of Coastal Fisheries,
CPS, New Caledonia.
"From 2002 to 2009, the Secretariat of the Pacific
Community ran the PROCFish and CoFish programmes
to assess the state of the reef fisheries across the
Pacific Islands region. Our work with IRD has enhanced
the initial project in two areas: on the one hand, the
study of the different facets of biodiversity allows for
a better evaluation of the state of the fisheries. On
the other hand, the results obtained demonstrate that
the fall in functional and phylogenetic diversity is an
initial warning as to the deterioration of the ecosystem.
These properties will be useful in the future when it
comes to monitoring coastal fisheries in the region."
The results show a very considerable drop in the levels of functional and
phylogenetic diversity, especially beyond a threshold of 20 inhabitants
per km² of reef, while the abundance of species remains largely unaffected
along this profile. For example, when the density of human population
reaches 1,700 inhabitants per km², the impact on the levels of functional
and phylogenetic diversity corresponds respectively to a drop of 46% and
36%, while the impact on the abundance of species falls by 12%.
The number of species would not therefore appear to be very sensitive to
anthropogenic pressure, while the two other components in biodiversity
are much more affected by human population density. These components
are "the tree of life", in other words, the diversity of biological traits and
phylogenetic lineages, vital to the proper functioning of coral systems.
Researchers have therefore emphasised the importance of conserving all
the components of biodiversity. They also recommend using the diversity
of traits and lineages as reliable, sensitive indicators of the deterioration
of communities of species.
UMR ENTROPIE "Tropical marine ecology in the Pacific and Indian Oceans"
(IRD-CNRS-université de La Réunion), UMR MARBEC "Marine Biodiversity, Exploitation
and Conservation" (CNRS/Ifremer/IRD/Université Montpellier), in partnership with the
Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Australia) and the Secretariat of the Pacific
Community (Nouméa).
1
Mutual observation/
New Caledonia
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
27
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
Soil improvement/Vietnam
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ITS RESOURCES
LAND USE: A MOVE
TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES
Ecological and environmental systems in tropical zones are subject to
drastic constraints. Often located in zones where global changes (in climate
and land use) are intense, their sustainable exploitation is an immediate
challenge for development.
CONTACTS
Jean-Louis Janeau and Emma Rochelle-Newall UMR IEES Paris - Paris Institute of Ecology and
Environmental Sciences (CNRS / INRA /IRD /Université
Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6/ Université Paris Diderot/
Université Paris Est Créteil Val de Marne)
jean-louis.janeau@ird.fr
emma.rochelle-newall@ird.fr
Resource: Agricultural Water Management
O
rganic carbon (CO) is a major component in organic matter that
contains the main nutrients used by plants for growth. It is one of
the key elements in the functioning of ecosystems, used by plants
for growth. Because soils are able to exchange carbon with the
atmosphere via photosynthesis and respiration, CO is also decisive in
the evolution of climate change.
The loss of CO through water erosion - particles breaking off and being
carried away by run-off - can have serious impacts on agricultural yields,
especially on soils that were poor in CO to start with, and on water quality
and aquatic ecosystems located downstream. Despite the threat that this
represents for food safety, this phenomenon has not been studied very far
in tropical zones, even though rainy periods at the origin of such transfers
are particularly intense there. Furthermore, these regions are subject to
rapid changes in land use, evolving from zones where natural plant cover
28
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
generates very little run-off to areas of cultivation or forest plantations,
to bare soils that are more sensitive to water erosion.
IRD researchers and their partners analysed CO and nutrient (phosphorus
and nitrogen) flows in a small watershed on a steep slope in the north of
Vietnam. Thanks to rain simulation experiments, they studied the impact
of three regular crop-growing practices (fallow, harrowing and mulching)
on the soil's capacity to retain CO and nutrients. They also analysed the
impact of plant cover at two forest sites harvesting Acacia mangium, a
species typical to the region. While their results highlight a significant
loss of CO during 40-minute intense rainfall episodes, the rates are even
more significant in planted forests where fallen leaves are removed, as
occurs with slash-and-burn and clear cutting. On the other hand, it would
appear that the spreading of crop residues limits run-off and the ensuing
loss of CO and nutrients, as well as soil erosion.
This work demonstrates the need to promote certain agronomic practices
that are more respectful of ecological balances, such as the cultivation
technique of sowing under plant cover, based on the no-dig technique, the
maintenance of permanent plant cover and direct sowing of crops through
this plant cover. This so-called "conservation agriculture" protects soils
on steep slopes against erosion. It improves fertility thanks to constant
organic input and the stimulation of biological activity, while limiting
the transfer of CO to aquatic areas downstream.
1
Soil and Fertilizers Research Institute
VIETNAM
Partner
DR TRAN MINH TIEN
Deputy Director of the SFRI 1,
responsible for international relations.
"We have worked with IRD since 1999. This has
brought significant benefits in terms of student
training and knowledge transfer. The results
of this research have helped us put forward
recommendations to the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development, to guide farmers towards
more sustainable practices."
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ITS RESOURCES
WHEN HUMAN ACTION GOES
AGAINST NATURAL DYNAMICS
SENEGAL
The creation of an artificial mouth within the estuary of the Senegal River
at Saint-Louis has provoked unexpected environmental changes. Oceanographers
and anthropologists from IRD have worked with their partners to analyse the physical,
biological and social changes caused in the region.
CONTACT
Robert Arfi - Environment and resources department
robert.arfi@ird.fr
Resource: Marine Pollution Bulletin
C
ertain environmental risks are linked to the development of
infrastructures or the fragmentation - or indeed disappearance of habitats. In a sometimes "undemanding" legislative framework,
tropical coast zones are under particular threat from activities
linked to economic growth: ports, sand removal for construction, the
discharge of household or industrial effluents, and so on.
The Senegal River flows into the Atlantic at the end of a long estuary
running several dozen kilometres along the coast. Depending on the
season, its mouth can be filled with oceanic sand deposits but this is
cleared at the time of the first high tides, when the waters reach the river's
lower valley.
In 2003 however, the system did not operate as expected and the high
water was unable to cross the barrier beach to reach the ocean. As an
emergency measure, to save the town of Saint-Louis from flooding, an
opening was made into the sea, to the south of the town, some 40 km
upstream from the natural river mouth. However, the ocean's mechanical
action soon ate into the gap and made it wider, gradually increasing it
from a width of just a few metres to an opening of several kilometres. The
seawater then poured into the estuary, subjecting it to stronger tides,
erosion and salinization. Islands disappeared, while the coastline and the
functioning of the estuary were completely transformed. The salinization
of the waters in the southern part of the estuary led to the disappearance
of certain fish species, affecting the traditional fishing activities. Vegetable
cultivation was also majorly affected by the salinization of the aquifers.
Researchers looked into the social impact of these environmental
changes. Several villages on the banks of the estuary near the breach
were wiped off the map due to marine erosion. Likewise, the drinking
water supply for the town of Saint-Louis was compromised. Its main
reservoir, initially fed by the area upstream of the estuary, is now fed by
canals crossing agricultural zones. It is therefore subject to a worrying
risk of eutrophication.
However, there have also been some positive changes since the opening
of the breach, as fishermen are now able to exploit new resources
such as prawns and oysters. The permanent opening out to the sea
also encourages the arrival of a number of nutrients linked to coastal
upwelling, creating the right conditions for the development of marine
species of fishery value.
The studies carried out after the opening of this breach will shed more
light on the functioning of the ecosystems, making it possible to anticipate
the impact of future developments of the river.
Partner
MOUHAMADOU DIAKHATÉ
Director of the Leïdi laboratory "Territorial dynamics
and development", co-director of the ICL Pateo
"Heritages and territories of water", Université
Gaston Berger, Saint-Louis, Senegal.
"There is a high-quality partnership between IRD
and our university. IRD is today committed to
'co-responsible' cooperation which can be seen in
the transfer of tools and techniques. This is the case
for the ICL Pateo, which I co-manage and which is
home to the SIRENA information system for the
sustainable management of ecosystems and natural
resources. The ICL has managed to satisfy all the
institutions invested in this forum for discussion and
pooling resources."
Banks of the Senegal
River
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
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2
IMPROVING THE HEALTH
OF POPULATIONS IN
THE SOUTH
In the field of health, in compliance with four of the
Millennium Development Goals (1, 4, 5 and 6), researchers
contribute to the fight against extreme poverty and hunger,
child mortality, maternal health issues, HIV, malaria and
other diseases. They have demonstrated their ability
to adapt their knowledge in response to the threat of
emerging pandemics, such as the Ebola epidemic in West
Africa. Researchers are also taking a growing interest in
epidemiological transition diseases and especially cancers.
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Protecting maternal and child health
Preventing and treating cancers linked to viral infections in South-East Asia
Ebola: researchers in action
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF POPULATIONS IN THE SOUTH
PROTECTING MATERNAL
AND CHILD HEALTH
BENIN
In Benin, IRD researchers and their partners have confirmed the harmful effects of
submicroscopic malaria infections during pregnancy, including maternal anaemia,
premature births and low birth weights.
CONTACTS
Philippe Deloron
philippe.deloron@ird.fr
Gilles Cottrell
gilles.cottrel@ird.fr
Nicaise Tuikue Ndam
nicaise.ndam@ird.fr
UMR MERIT – Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales
(IRD/Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5).
Resource: Clinical Infectious Disease
M
alaria causes more than 580,000 deaths per year, mainly in SubSaharan Africa. Among the parasites transmitted to humans,
Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for the most serious cases.
During pregnancy, malaria infections have especially harmful
effects on maternal and child health: they cause 35% of premature
births, with low birth weights and contribute to the death of 75,000 to
200,000 babies every year.
IRD researchers and the Centre for the Study and Research of Malaria
Associated with Pregnancy and Childhood (Cerpage) monitored
1,037 pregnant women in southwest Benin between May 2008 and May
2011. They assessed the impact of submicroscopic malaria infections, in
other words, those that cannot be detected by microscope, on maternal
and child health; this was done, for the first time, in a prospective manner
for the full duration of pregnancy. Their analyses show a significant
increase in the risk of low birth weight and maternal anaemia during a
first pregnancy. Among women who have undergone several pregnancies,
the risk of giving birth prematurely is twice as high.
The researchers also confirmed the relevance of the WHO's recommendations on increasing the number of intermittent preventive treatment
doses during pregnancy. With the current treatment of 2 doses, 30% of the
women monitored during the study remained infected at the time of birth.
Finally, they compared conventional diagnostic techniques, analysing
blood samples under the microscope (thick smear tests) with a molecular
biology method known as PCR (Polymerase chain reaction), which can
detect the DNA of Plasmodium falciparum in patients' blood. This latter
technique proved to be much more effective. It enabled the detection of
the malaria parasite among 40% of the women monitored, at the time
of the first prenatal consultation, compared to 16% for the microscope
technique.
These results demonstrate the importance of better assessing the
consequences of these "low-noise" malaria infections on maternal
and child health and proves that their role as a reservoir for parasites
contributes to transmission of the disease among pregnant women, and
among children and adults. The researchers also point out the need to
develop more effective diagnosis techniques that can be used in the field.
Partner
PR ACHILLE MASSOUGBODJI
Director of the Centre for the Study and Research of
Malaria Associated with Pregnancy and Childhood
(Cerpage) - Benin.
"CERPAGE has been working with IRD for more than ten
years now, striving to identify the effects of malaria on the
two main vulnerable populations, namely pregnant women
and their children, and to validate effective preventive
strategies. The STOPPAM project run in southern Benin
between 2010 and 2014, which this study was part of,
aimed to uncover the mechanisms behind malaria
affecting women during pregnancy and to quantify its
consequences on maternal and foetal health accurately.
We demonstrated that submicroscopic infections had a
negative impact on vulnerable populations. We now need
to develop new molecular diagnosis tools as a matter of
urgency, and make them available to health systems in
the South, in order to improve treatment of this major
endemic."
Malaria diagnosis/
Benin
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
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EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
Laboratory analyses/
Laos
IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF POPULATIONS IN THE SOUTH
PREVENTING AND TREATING
CANCERS LINKED TO VIRAL
INFECTIONS IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA
In South-East Asia, liver cancer linked to the hepatitis B and C viruses and cervical cancer, due to human
papillomavirus, are a public health issue. They are affecting a growing number of individuals, in connection
with ageing of the population and greater life expectancy. Several studies have been carried out
in this field by researchers from the PHPT international joint unit 1.
CONTACT
Gonzague Jourdain - Prevention and treatment of HIV
infections and virus-associated cancers in South East Asia UMI PHPT (IRD/University of Chiang Mai).
gonzague.jourdain@ird.fr
M
ore than 400 million people across the world are chronically
infected with the hepatitis B or C virus. More than a million
people die from complications of a viral form of hepatitis every
year. This is a global issue but East Asia is much more severely
affected by these infections. The treatment and prevention of hepatitis B
and C are still not sufficiently taken into account by the health systems
in the region. Although access to diagnosis and prognosis tools and
the medicines required to treat these infections is improving, the lack
of information and training of healthcare staff remains a major barrier
to treatment. Several studies have been made into this issue by IRD
researchers and their partners.
As such, a randomised clinical trial for the prevention of transmission
of the hepatitis B virus from mother to child has been run to test a new
method using antiviral drugs.
Another study concerns the treatment of hepatitis C among adults coinfected with HIV and whose liver is subject to advanced fibrosis.
In Laos, vaccination against hepatitis B is still not applicable as from birth
and the barriers to vaccination remain poorly understood. A clinical trial
began at the end of 2014 to pinpoint these aspects, to study the difficulties
and to determine what place antiviral drugs could have in preventing
transmission of the hepatitis B virus. Researchers also contributed to the
intensive training of doctors and nurses for the introduction of treatment
of hepatitis B and C.
There is also research into the prevention of cervical cancer, the second
cause of cancer among Thai women. If diagnosed early, it can be treated
using surgical methods widely available in the region. However, more
regular diagnosis could be simplified if it was possible to identify those
women with a higher risk. A study based on the analysis of genotypes of
the human papillomavirus responsible for this type of cancer is currently
underway, involving more than 800 Thai women infected with HIV and
under antiretroviral treatment. In particular, it will aim to determine how
useful the identification of these high-risk genotypes would be in a cancer
screening programme. The unit is also working on a similar study among
younger women in Laos.
All of this research and the studies conducted for many years by the UMI
PHPT on HIV and the prevention of perinatal transmission are aimed at
developing effective prevention and treatment methods, easy to implement in the field and helping to improve the health of the populations
in these regions.
1
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IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
Prevention and treatment of HIV infections and virus associated cancers in South East Asia.
LAOS
Partner
DR VATTHANAPHONE
LATTHAPHASAVANG
Doctor specialised in infectious
diseases at Mahosot in Vientiane, Laos.
"I work with the PHPT international joint unit as part of
my thesis on the prevention of perinatal transmission
of the hepatitis B virus. Laos and Thailand are close
in geographic terms and culture, and share the same
problems when it comes to hepatitis B. However there
are a number of differences, especially with regard to
economic development. During my internship in the
PHPT unit, I was not only able to discuss my project
with Thai and French researchers but also directly
observe how the theoretical principles of clinical
research are applied in the field. This partnership
also helps develop clinical research capacities in my
country, so that solutions adapted to our population
can be developed and tested locally, to enable their
swift integration into the public health system."
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF POPULATIONS IN THE SOUTH
EBOLA:
RESEARCHERS IN ACTION
GUINEA
To tackle the unprecedented Ebola virus fever that affected West Africa in 2014,
IRD researchers and their partners from the South set to work alongside French research
teams. They take part in a number of programmes in the fields of diagnosis, care for
convalescents and human and social sciences.
CONTACT
Hervé Tissot Dupont - IRD Health Department
dsa@ird.fr
Resource: https://www.ird.fr/toute-l-actualite/actualites/communiques-et-dossiersde-presse/ebola-les-chercheurs-de-l-ird-mobilises
O
n 31 December 2014, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had
recorded 7,905 deaths for 20,206 cases of Ebola virus fever in six
countries in West Africa.
This virus has long been a preoccupation for IRD researchers, most
notably within the Centre international de recherche médicale de Franceville (CIRMF or the Franceville international medical research centre) in
Gabon. The CIRMF's work has resulted in some major scientific advances,
with the identification of fruit bats as a natural reservoir for the virus, the
discovery of a new virus genetic lineage and recombinant viruses, and the
existence of natural immunity to Ebola. While the epidemic swept West
Africa, an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo raised fears of
the virus spreading. However, the same team proved that this was a local
strain, different from that in West Africa.
Several research projects were launched as part of the French response
to the epidemic, coordinated by the National Alliance for Life Sciences
and Health (Aviesan) and Inserm's microbiology and infectious diseases
institute.
In the field of social sciences, the UMR TransVIHMI analysed the factors
that determine the confidence of healthcare professionals and the population in the national epidemic response1. Teams from the UMRs Merit and
Mivegec set up an anthropologic study on the information circulating in
the media, and in speeches and rumours, with an operational dimension
relating to public health actions2. An anthropologist from the UMR Sesstim
also works on rumours, discussions and controversies, and on the processes
used to circulate and process local and international information via the
official media and social networks3.
In virology, the UMR EPV coordinates work on the standardisation of rapid
diagnosis tests and manages the virology diagnosis component of the clinical trials for Favipiravir treatment on humans in Guinea and on primates in
the P4 laboratory in Lyon. This unit also works with the Antwerp Institute
of Tropical Medicine on the use of plasma taken from people cured of the
virus to treat cases of Ebola infection.
The UMR TransVIHMI also coordinates a cross-disciplinary study on two
convalescing patient cohorts, in partnership with the Conakry university
hospital (Guinea), the National Biomedical Research Institute in Dakar
and the Kinshasa university hospital (DRC), Inserm, Bordeaux university
hospital, the ANRS, the UMR EPV, the French national blood service, la
Fondation Maison des sciences de l’homme (literally, House of the Sciences
of Man Foundation), and the universities of Amsterdam (Netherlands) and
Montréal (Canada).
Finally, an IRD researcher is behind the consortium research project funded
by the European Commission on an approach to ultrasensitive diagnosis of
the virus, with the aim of introducing passive immunotherapy treatment
as soon as possible, via antibodies raised in horses.
Work done in cooperation with the University of Cheikh Anta Diop (Senegal).
Work done in cooperation with the University of Abomey-Calavi (Benin) and the University of Alassane
Ouatara (Côte d’Ivoire).
3 Work done in partnership with Inserm, CNRS, EHESS, MNHN, the military healthcare service, McGill
University (Canada), and the universities of Columbia and New York (USA).
Partner
DR MOUMIÉ BARRY
Manager for Guinea of the PostEboGui project
developed by TransVIHMI.
"We are working with IRD as part of the PostEboGui
project which will result in the set-up of cross-disciplinary
monitoring of patients after infection with Ebola virus
in the Republic of Guinea. The results will have a direct
impact on the clinical and social care provided for
this population and on the prevention of secondary
contaminations. It will also contribute to capacity-building
among healthcare professionals signed up via a researchtraining process."
For more information:
https://en.ird.fr/the-media-centre/
videos-online-channel-ird/ebola-interview-with-eric-leroy
1 2 Ebola epidemic/Guinea
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
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EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
3
UNDERSTANDING
CHANGES IN
DEVELOPING SOCIETIES
Social science research aims to understand the ways
developing societies function and the relationships that
they develop with their natural, social, cultural, economic
and political environment. It focuses on three major areas
of study: development and governance; vulnerabilities,
inequalities and growth; social and spatial dynamics and
boundaries.
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A move towards new interpretation of religious aspects in the Arab world
Understanding the vulnerability of large conurbations
Slavery in Africa: history, legacies and current situations
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
UNDERSTANDING CHANGES IN DEVELOPING SOCIETIES
A MOVE TOWARDS NEW INTERPRETATION OF
RELIGIOUS ASPECTS IN THE ARAB WORLD
MOROCCO
Partner
Religious affairs fall within the remit of the research work of IRD and its partners. This concerns, on the one
hand, religious developments following migrations between sub-Saharan Africa and Mediterranean Africa,
and on the other hand, political reshuffling stemming from the ascendancy to power of Islamist currents in
certain countries that participated in the Arab Spring, including Egypt.
CONTACTS
Sophie Bava - Population-environment-development laboratory – UMR LPED
(IRD/Aix-Marseille University) - sophie.bava@ird.fr
Sarah Ben Néfissa - IRD representative in Egypt - sarah.ben_nefissa@ird.fr
Resources: Proceedings of the colloquium Mobilités et blocages en Afrique méditerranéenne
(Mobilities and barriers in Mediterranean Africa), Rabat 2014.
L’Année du Maghreb (the year of Maghreb), 2014.
Revue Marocaine de sciences politiques et sociales (Moroccan review of political and social
sciences), Dossier on political Islam in the Arab world, 2014.
W
ith the reinforcement of borders in Europe over the last fifteen
years or so, and due to a lack of clear emigration policies driven
by countries of the South, migrants from sub-Saharan Africa are
now settling for the longer term in countries within Mediterranean
Africa. The MIGRELI 1 research programme emphasises the take-off of a
growing market, over the past few years, designed to provide a religious and
social response to migrants. This religious market draws on the strengthening
of faith and religious practices during migration. This migratory period also
leads to new encounters, away from the elders and established social orders,
and means migrants sometimes assert themselves and choose their own path.
This can lead to a deeper religious commitment, which may take the form of
religious responsibilities, as revealed by surveys among African students at
the University of Al Azhar in Cairo and the Mowafaqa Institute, an ecumenical
Christian training institute in Rabat.
The evangelical protestant sphere today appears as one of the most attractive
movements, with a renewed, dynamic, competitive local offering. In Mediterranean African countries, the Catholic and Protestant churches, which were
pretty much forgotten about, with poor attendance numbers since the end of
the colonial period, have enjoyed renewed interest. At the same time, we see
a real commitment in Morocco to establishing political control over African
religious affairs. The organisation of religious training for Muslim leaders from
West Africa and Europe in Rabat is one example of this. Morocco has also
backed the installation of an ecumenical Christian theological training institute
for Africans and Europeans. The emergence of the religious issue on migratory
scenes thus raises questions on the social and economic practices of migrants
with regard to the closing of borders, on the place of religious organisations
looking for growth and recognition, and on the dynamics of national policies
affecting religious matters. In fact, Maghreb states, which until now were a
place of transition for migrants, are having to integrate a Muslim and Christian
African dimension into their religious policies.
In Egypt, researchers are studying the relationships between religious matters and politics, following the election of Mohmed Morsy as president of the
Republic in June 2012 and his destitution one year later. The latter event was
provoked by the coup on 3 July, against the background of the rapidly falling
popularity of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. This historical event was of
major importance on the regional level and highlighted the need for a new
analysis of the "mother community" of the Muslim Brotherhood across the
world. This analysis draws on the new areas of research represented by the
legal acceptance and rise to power of this organisation, which had operated
in secrecy for decades. A number of testimonies from Muslim Brotherhood
leaders and militants emphasise the ideological barriers of their leadership,
which remains loyal to strict submission of politics to religion. Likewise, they
reveal certain characteristics of the organisation that help understand their
difficulties in communicating with their own society: confinement among
themselves, recruitment to the organisation deep down in the lower ranks
of society with loyalty and submission of these recruits to directives from the
upper ranks. To a certain degree, the Muslim Brotherhood fell into the trap of
its own organisation, its source of strength but also its weakness. Its fall is as
much related to the strength of the opposing coalition as to some of its own
particularities.
1
MEHDI ALIOUA
Assistant Professor at Rabat school for political
science, researcher at Rabat international
university.
"The strengthening of research into religious issues in
Morocco is essential. In this context, the international
university of Rabat, tasked with opening up to Africa
and specialising in migratory issues, needed the
expertise and networks of excellence offered by
IRD. Since this partnership, research, appraisals,
colloquiums and publications have been developed at
a rate that largely surpasses the average in Morocco."
For more information:
http://anneemaghreb.revues.org/2179
http://anneemaghreb.revues.org/2191
Religious mural/
Senegal
Religious and confession-based institutions on the routes of African migration.
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
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EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
UNDERSTANDING CHANGES IN DEVELOPING SOCIETIES
UNDERSTANDING THE VULNERABILITY
OF LARGE CONURBATIONS
Since it was created in 2006, the Pacivur programme (Andean Programme for Training
and Research on Vulnerability and Risks in Urban Environments), backed by the UMR
Prodig, focuses on a key issue: understanding the vulnerability of large conurbations in
Andean countries, in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.
CONTACTS
Pascale Metzger and Robert Dercole – UMR Prodig Pôle de recherche
pour l’organisation et la diffusion de l’information géographique
(research division for the organisation and dissemination of geographic
information) (CNRS/IRD/ Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne/
Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7/ Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris 4)/
École pratique des hautes études)
pascale.metzger@ird.fr / robert.dercole@ird.fr
Jérémy Robert – IFEA - French institute for Andean studies
robert.jeremy2013@gmail.com
Resource: Atlas problématique d’une métropole vulnérable : inégalités urbaines à Lima et
Callao. (Atlas of issues in a vulnerable conurbation: urban inequalities in Lima and Callao).
A
pplying geographic approaches alongside field surveys and interviews
with key stakeholders in urban systems, IRD researchers and their
partners are studying territorial organisation and urban management,
how vulnerable spaces are formed and represented, management
and risk prevention policies, crisis management and disaster preparedness.
This has been most evident in Lima, Peru's capital city, confronted with the
prospect of a major earthquake.
Lima and El Callao form a huge conurbation of 10 million inhabitants, causing
major day-to-day challenges in terms of urban management and governance.
As is the case in many Latin American cities, social and spatial inequalities
are part of the landscape in Lima. They developed historically, socially and
politically due to the way in which different districts were formed, and to
the spatial distribution of services and urban facilities, and the conditions
of access. They are amplified by the political and institutional complexity
of this huge city, made up of 49 districts with very different technical and
budgetary capacities. This conurbation is politically and socially fragmented,
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IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
subject to conflicts, democratic advances and economic liberalisation. The
city's governance swings between domination, participation and resistance to
public and private projects. The urban landscapes and the structure of space
evolve under the influence of weak public authorities, the growing role of the
population as a political and territorial stakeholder, and economic and spatial
drivers from the informal or private sectors. Studying the city's vulnerability
therefore requires a deeper understanding of how it works.
As an alternative to hazard modelling as the starting point for analysis of
natural risks, a simple idea is put forward: a prevention policy should aim
to protect what we consider important, i.e. the "key issues" for a territory. It
means shifting the focus of the risk from what is threatened to what we want
to protect, in other words what is vital for the territory and its population.
In this way, identifying the risk within a given space means both social and
territorial viewpoints are taken into account. When applied to the level of the
individual districts, this approach raises further questions, most notably on
the contribution of urban policies to reducing the population's vulnerability,
on how to associate the different levels within the territory and on the
population's participation.
This research, run over the long term and backed by collective thinking,
operating at different levels, has made it possible to identify the territories
that are the best or least prepared in the event of a crisis. Drawing on strong
scientific and operational partnerships, the researchers from Pacivur help
to evaluate risk prevention programmes and the disaster preparedness
programme of the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office.
Lima / Peru
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
UNDERSTANDING CHANGES IN DEVELOPING SOCIETIES
SLAVERY IN AFRICA: HISTORY,
LEGACIES AND CURRENT SITUATIONS
The after-effects of slavery and the slave trade are still felt deeply in Africa,
and weigh on relations between different elements of society. IRD's researchers and
their partners study the legacy of slavery in modern times, its long-term repercussions,
and how these have reconfigured society and identities.
CONTACTS
Marie-Pierre Ballarin and Elisabeth Cunin – Migrations
and Society UMR URMIS (CNRS / IRD / Université Paris
Diderot - Paris 7/ Université Nice Sophia Antipolis)
marie-pierre.ballarin@ird.fr / elisabeth.cunin@ird.fr
Resource: conference "Slavery in Africa: history, legacies and current
situations" Nairobi, CUEA, 2014.
W
hether passive or active, in the distant or more recent past,
practised on a continual basis or otherwise, slavery and its
legacies have largely influenced some major questions: access
to land ownership, education, the exercise of certain political,
religious or administrative functions, the recognition of citizenship or
social marginalisation of servile groups or their descendants. For example,
in certain contexts there is real discrimination in residential terms with the
descendants of slaves confined in segregated villages or districts, with limited
access to public resources. In many social and memorial conflicts between
communities, the reference to slavery and the servile status emerges as an
explanatory factor, thus emphasising the way in which slavery and servility
influenced social, ideological, political and religious struggles.
In spite of its importance in the history and on contemporary issues in African
societies, the silence on the slave trade remains almost total on the continent.
However, the question of the memory of slavery and its "heritage" identity
is key in the Atlantic world and in the island communities of the Indian
Ocean. Furthermore, even though new research is being carried out in Africa,
it remains very sparse in the academic field. While voices expressing the
memory are making themselves heard in Senegal and Benin, they are barely
emerging in East Africa.
The duty of memory and the transmission of knowledge related to slavery was
the focus of the colloquium "Slavery in Africa: history, legacies and current
situations",1 held in Nairobi in October 2014. This was the first international
gathering on slavery and its consequences organised by IRD and its African
partners from across the continent. It brought together researchers from
West and Central Africa, East Africa, the western part of the Indian Ocean,
Europe and North America. One of the main objectives was to ensure a lasting
place for the question of slavery in Africa and communities from the west of
the Indian Ocean on the research agenda and in social science teaching in
African universities and institutions. In order to do so, various disciplines
have examined the history and current situation of slavery in Africa. Militants
from the anti-slavery movement were invited to take part in public forums to
debate with scientists. This gathering enabled African researchers and their
counterparts from the North to enter into a dialogue and develop a common
ground for understanding in order to strengthen future North-South and
South-South partnerships.
This research will, in the long term, provide better understanding of the
composition of populations and their internal hierarchy. Accounting for
the significance of the status of slave, which has become a social category,
makes it possible to assess the degree of permanence of its effects on the
social and economic sphere.
KENYA
Partner
PR SAMUEL NYANCHOGA
Catholic University of Eastern Africa,
Nairobi, Kenya.
"The colloquium on slavery is the outcome of a
research partnership with IRD. This project has
helped with capacity building by training master's
and PhD students who will join the community of
researchers and teachers in Kenya. It has also enabled
the empowerment of the community and increased
awareness of the issue of slavery. The colloquium
was also the opportunity to put the spotlight on key
researchers from the South."
Organised in partnership with the URMIS, the National Museums of Kenya (Mombasa), the Catholic
university of East Africa (Nairobi), the International Centre for Research on Slavery (Ciresc, Paris), the
African Centre for Research on Trade and Slavery (Ucad) and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies
and Research on Slavery and Trade in Africa (Cerpeta, Yaoundé).
1
IRD ANNUAL REPORT 2014
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