Bakenga Maksudi
Affiliations
Doctoral Candidate
Contact information
Background
Credentials
Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2014
Teacher License - Senior Phase & Further Education & Training (FET), South African Council for Educators (SACE), 2014
Educational Background
MPhil in Environmental Humanities - Environmental Humanities, University of Cape Town, 2022
Bachelor of Education Honours - Education, University of Cape Town, 2020
Bachelor of Commerce - Economics and Supply Chain Management, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2012
Certificate in Business Administration (CBA) - Business Administration, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007
Biography
As a doctoral candidate at the University of Calgary, I am deeply committed to rethinking the relationship between humans and their natural environment. My research focuses on the Great Lakes region, particularly the coastal areas of Lake Tanganyika in Burundi. It is community‑centred and seeks to spark meaningful dialogue between cultural practices and environmental change. I work closely with riparian communities, farmers, fishers, and local residents, and advocate for innovative approaches to coastal land management. I also volunteer as a researcher with Kit‑Hub Burundi, a social organization leading innovation and social impact in Bujumbura and beyond. Through this role, I aim to promote equitable knowledge and skills sharing. I am dedicated to creating opportunities for all, especially indigenous communities, because I believe this is essential for social transformation and for building a more harmonious relationship between people and nature. My journey is not only about academic research; it is about making a tangible difference in people’s lives and protecting our natural world for future generations.
Research
Areas of Research
The study aims to explore how the people of the Lake Tanganyika region and the lake itself have influenced one another over time. Rather than treating the lake as only a natural feature, this research examines how its changing water levels, seasonal rhythms, and long-term cycles have influenced the daily lives, livelihoods, and cultural practices of communities living along Burundi’s shoreline. It also explores how fishing, farming, settlement patterns, and local coastal management have transformed the riparian landscape. By combining scientific data with community memories, oral histories, and local knowledge, the environmental history approach reveals how past decisions, such as where people built homes, how they used the riparian zone, or how they responded to floods, continue to shape present-day challenges. This perspective shows that environmental change on Lake Tanganyika is never purely “natural”; it is also social, cultural, and policy-driven. Understanding this shared history helps communities and policymakers make fairer, more sustainable choices for the future.
This research examines how development along Lake Tanganyika impacts the everyday lives of people living on its shores in Burundi from two main perspectives. First, as the city expands and new buildings appear along the lake, communities such as fishers and farmers face changes that disrupt their land, culture, and environment. Second, construction on the lakeshore increases community vulnerability to flooding caused by rising lake levels. The study explores whether development is benefiting communities, and how fluctuations in lake levels, loss of livelihoods, and pressure on shared spaces impact people’s ability to make a living. By listening to community experiences, the research aims to understand what truly sustainable development should look like for them.
Participation in university strategic initiatives
Projects
My research project explores two critical issues affecting communities along the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Bujumbura, Burundi. It examines people’s perceptions of historical lake‑level variation and flood vulnerability, and it also investigates how ongoing urban expansion within the lake’s riparian zone impacts local communities. The lake and its riparian zone function as a complex adaptive system, inviting diverse interpretations from different social and cultural groups while also providing a stable reference point for collaboration. Both serve as vital sources of livelihood for fishers, farmers, residents, shoreline businesses, and non-human species. The riparian zone is especially important as a natural buffer, providing habitat for species such as hippos while also regulating flooding. The study uses a transdisciplinary approach that integrates social, cultural, ecological, climatic, and technological perspectives to deepen understanding of the landscape’s dynamics. Its goal is to develop a Social‑Ecological‑Aquatic model that supports sustainable environmental and development solutions. This involves integrating multiple ways of knowing to bridge generational knowledge with modern policy, strengthening conversations about coexistence and sustainability. The study also considers forms of agency beyond physical management, recognizing the lake and its riparian zone as platforms for environmental storytelling that promote stewardship, knowledge sharing, and responsible coastal management.
Awards
- Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES) - International , University of Calgary. 2024
- Faculty of Graduate Studies Doctoral Entrance Scholarship, University of Calgary. 2023
- Faculty of Graduate Studies International Graduate Tuition Award , University of Calgary . 2003
- Doctoral Student Departmental Funding, University of Calgary. 2023
- MasterCard Foundation Scholarship, MasterCard Foundation - University of Cape Town. 2020
- DSF National Research Foundation Innovation Master’s Scholarship, National Research Foundation (NRF). 2020
- UCT Plus Bronze Award for Role-modelling Leadership , University of Cape Town Careers Service. 2020
- First Place Award for Best Joint Paper and Presentation, Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). 2020
- Council Honours Merit and Financial Aid Awards, University of Cape Town. 2019
- Swedish Institute Study Scholarships (SISS), Swedish Institute (SI). 2017
- HCI Foundation Bursary, HCI Foundation. 2010
- DAFI Tertiary Scholarship , UNHCR. 2008
Publications
- Hippopotami in a liminal space: a multi-species ethnography of Lake Tanganyika in Bujumbura. Bakenga Maksudi. University of Cape Town. (2022)
- Migration as an adaptation strategy to climate change. Abakari, G., Chattopadhyay, S., Hutchison, T. E., Maksudi, B., Mwakio, C. M., Olabimi, I. O., Wijayathunga, H. R.. The Association of Commonwealth Universities. (2020)
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