Name: Dr. Otieno Dorcas Beryl (Mrs.)
Title/Qualifications: Dr.
Department/Unit/Section: Environmental Studies and Community Development
Contact Address: P.O. Box 43844-00100
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Position: Senior Lecturer


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Publications

  • Dorcas,O, Duncan O, Emma O, (2023) A Baseline Report on Higher Education Development for a Green Economy and Sustainability at Kenyatta University, Kenya.  https://www.elivapress.com/en/book/book-5724370564/
  • Ngare, I., Otieno, D., Omwami, D., Ogutu, E., Opiyo, L., Gikonyo, S., & Otieno, E. (2022). Defining green economy aspects for eco-friendly industrial approaches; their linkages across the sustainable innovation paradigm. Scientific Research and Essays, 17(2), 17-23. https://doi.org/10.5897/SRE2022.6745
  • Ngare, I., Otieno, D. Omwami, D., Ogutu, E., Opiyo, L., Gikonyo, S., & Otieno, E. (2022) Incorporation of Green Economy and Sustainability Programmes in Higher Institutions of Learning. Examining the Case of Kenyatta University, Kenya. Educational Research and Reviews. https://doi.org/10.5897/SRE2022.674
  • Otieno, D (2021) Futures of Higher Education Development for Green Economy and Sustainability (HEDGES). UNESCO
  • Otieno Dorcas, Wandabi David and Dixon Lorraine (2020) Eco-schools Kenya: Practising Education for Green Economy and Sustainability. SPRINGER
  • Otieno. D (2015) Faith based ESD Teachers Toolkit: Mainstreaming Religious Wisdom in the School Curriculum in Kenya, Including Faith-based curriculum matrix. Approved for use in Kenyan Schools. ARC
  • Otieno Dorcas (2015) Education for Sustainable Development Guide: Effective Teaching and Learning in Teacher Education Institutions in Africa. Authored Chapter 5- The Teacher Education Curriculum and    programmes. UNESCO
  • Action Learning: A tool for Promoting Values and Ethics in Education for Sustainable Development. Paper prepared for a consultation on ”Drivers and Barriers for Learning for Sustainable Development in Pre-School, School and Teacher Education”. 27-29 March 2006, Goteborg, Sweden.
  • Re-orienting Higher Education to address Environmental Sustainability.
    Paper prepared for the Regional Conference on the Role of African Universities in the attainment of Millennium Development Goals. 14-18 November 2005 At the School of Monetary Studies, Nairobi.
  • Developing a Environmental Policy Towards Greening Kenyatta University: Paper prepared for the International Conference: EMSU002 in Africa, Environmental Management for Sustainable Universities: The Role of Higher Education in Sustainable Development. 11-13 September 2002, Rhodes University, Grahams town, South Africa.
  • Education for Sustainability in Kenya: An assessment of progress made in implementing Agenda 21(1992-2002). The Kenya NGO position towards the earth summit 2002 and beyond
  • Women and Sustainable development in Kenya: An assessment of progress made in implementing agenda 21(1992-2002). The Kenya NGO position towards the earth summit 2002 and beyond.

Awards

  • October 2016: Mashujaa Award from County Government of Vihiga-Kenya in recognition of my work in education for sustainable development in the County.
  • December 2008: Kenya Presidential Award: Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya (OGW) in recognition of my work in improving environmental management in the Public sector.

Conferences/Meetings/Seminars

  • UNESCO (KNATCOM) Consultative Meeting. The UNESCO Chair Hedges Kenyatta University attended a consultative meeting with UNESCO Chairs at the Kenya National Commissions for UNESCO (KNATCOM) and shared a progress report. The event took place on 13th June, 2023 by the theme Knowledge Creation, Innovation and Sustainable Development in Kenya. Through these networks, institutions all over the globe pool their resources, both human and material, to address pressing challenges and contribute to the development of their societies. This has proven useful in informing policy decisions, establishing new teaching initiatives, generating innovation through research and contributing to the enrichment of existing University Programmes while promoting cultural diversity. In areas suffering from a dearth of expertise, these networks have evolved into poles of excellence and innovation at the regional or sub-regional levels. This has also contributed to strengthening North-South-South cooperation.
  • ESD and Global Perspectives Seminar. The UNESCO Chair Hedges shared a comprehensive presentation on ESD from the Global South perspective on Tuesday 9th May, 2023. The Saxon State Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs and the Saxon State Foundation for Nature and the Environment, Germany organised a symposium on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and the key thematic area was ESD and Global Perspectives. The chair emphasised on SDG 17 Global Partnerships and the critical role it plays in the implementation and revitalisation of sustainable development. However, it is important to note that partners from low-income countries are involved in less collaboration than partners from developed countries. SDG 17 advocates for greater cooperation between public, private and third sector organisations, regardless of their origin and size, to implement sustainable development, particularly with developing countries. It is of fundamental importance for the continuous development of these associations, and towards the understanding of the role that they play. The COVID-19 pandemic brought to the forefront issues related to access such as: the consequences of not having adequate healthcare; not having potable drinking water and sanitation facilities; and decent jobs. A universal roadmap for resilient societies should take into account the three broad pillars of sustainable development that is people, planet and prosperity with the overarching objective to ‘leave no one behind’.
  • UNESCO/UNITWINN Futures of Learning and Innovation. The chair participated as an expert panel member in a virtual seminar held on Wednesday 15th March, 2023 organized by UNESCO/UNITWINN Futures of Learning and Innovation team. The theme for the seminar was Reimagining Our Futures Together: A new social contract for education. The chair presented her concept note for the IESALC Expert Consultation concept note while relating it to main messages of the Report from the International Commission. Institutions of higher learning should develop partnerships and build capacities around transformative competencies. The key priorities should be the reorientation of curricula and programs that enhance interdisciplinary and a replica of the nano-science model. Existing curricula needs to be futuristic to accommodate the emergence of need for green education concepts e.g., skills for green jobs, sustainable business development/Green business/sustainable business models; environmental sustainability; sustainable economic growth; governance; social capital and the green economy; climate change mitigation, adaptation and economic development; green economy and sustainable community development (GESIP).  
  • Regional Centre for Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development in collaboration with Kenyatta University, National Environment Management Authority and United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability. The Chair holder was a resource person for the 12th African Regional Centre for Expertise conference held in Kenyatta University Conference Centre (KUCC) on 28th to 30th November, 2022 from 9:00 am to 4:00pm EAT. The Global RCE Service Centre recognizes that youth is one of the critical actors among multi-stakeholder to promote Education for Sustainable Development and accelerate actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.  This is to strengthen youth involvement in decision making process and facilitate youth led and youth focused initiatives at regional and global levels.
  • Capacity Building on Green Economy and Sustainability Seminar. The UNESCO Chair Hedges Kenyatta University organized a Capacity Building webinar on Green Economy and Sustainability in Kenyatta University on 28th October 2021 as from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EAT. The webinar sought to capacity build the Kenyatta University Staff on Green Economy and Sustainability Learning through the following objectives; To enable the participants to understand the importance and need for green economy and sustainability learning; to foster the transition pathways for green economy and sustainability practices in different disciplines; and to enhance linkages between academia and industry for sustainability competences. 

Policy and Strategy Development

  • 2020-2021: Member of the Working Group of the Ministry of the Environment that developed the Climate Change Learn Strategy for Kenya. The Kenya CC Learning Strategy (2021-2030) provides a systematic, country driven, coordinated approach to climate change learning by fostering multi-stakeholder, cross sectoral collaboration to support learning needs and capacity development priorities and strengthen national institutions to deliver climate change learning as part of a broader, sustainable way to enhance an engendered human resource base to address climate change. 
  • 2016 June. UNESCO Regional Eastern Africa Initiative. Member of the Steering Committee that developed the ESD policy for the Kenya Education Sector: review status on implementation of ESD in the Education sector, identify thematic areas, policy guidelines, validate and launch the strategy.
  • 2014-2016: Member of the Green Economy steering committee that  developed the Kenya Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan (GESIP) 2016-2030- Coordinated the ESD for Green Economy working group to develop strategies  for mainstreaming green economy into all forms of education and training; Institutionalize policy on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD); Strengthen gender responsive green economy training pedagogy and andragogy; Strengthen learning institutions to enhance green economy transformation; Catalyse behavioural change and promote skill-oriented training necessary for a green economy &green jobs; Revamp training in TVET including apprenticeship schemes and entrepreneurship training.

Research Projects

  • Complicated Plastics Project. The UNESCO Chair Hedges Dr. Dorcas Beryl Otieno, Kenyatta University in collaboration with Dr. Sara Gabrielson, a senior lecturer in Sustainability Science at Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS) – Sweden are jointly working on a three years (2022 to 2024) project dubbed complicated plastics/sanitary towels. The project aims to meet following objectives; Assessing the gaps in national sanitation and environmental policies and plans; Examine the market of complicated plastic products, including health and environmental risks; and Identify disposal challenges for menstrual users as well as waste management barriers and environmental implications faced by sanitation service providers.
  • HEDGES Baseline Study and Publication. The Chair holder together with the Technical Working Group (TWG) carried out Green Economy and Sustainability Learning baseline assessment at KU (governance, operations, curriculum & community outreach) and the report of the findings published. The baseline was carried out in 2021 -2022 and the findings published in 2023.

Esd Curricular Development

  • Greening Education Partnership hosted at Education for Sustainable Development, UNESCO. The Chair holder is consulting for UNESCO, Paris in the Education for Sustainable Development section focusing on Green Curriculum Guidelines for TVET. The working group is focusing on six thematic areas namely Climate Science; Ecosystems and Biodiversity; Resilience Building; Climate Justice; Post Carbon Economies and Sustainable Lifestyles. The goal is to significantly increase the number of countries that integrate climate change and sustainability into their curricula. This includes addressing climate mitigation and adaptation and incorporating a wider systemic perspective in school curricula and teaching practices at all levels in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Currently, approximately 45% of countries in the world have incorporated these elements into their national curriculum frameworks. The aim is to at least double the current, with a vision of achieving near-universal inclusion in all national curricula by 2030.
  • 2008- 2011: United Nations University, Project coordinator: Designed and established an International Master’s Course on Education for Sustainable Development in Africa (ESDA) - A Community Based Innovation Course in Urban Sustainable Development focusing on water and sanitation, food security and sustainable energy. The project was supported by Japanese Government, UN Habitat, and UNEP. To be implemented in partnership with Universities in Kenya, Ghana, South Africa Japan, Sweden, and Norway.

Membership to  Proffessional/NGO Organizations

  • Environmental Research Education and Training Consulting Services Ltd. (ENRET).
  • Social Science and Medicine Africa Network (SOMA - NET).
  • The Association of African Women for Research and Development (AAWORD) (K).
  • Women in Development and Environment Network (WIDEN)
  • The African Centre of Studies and Technology (ACTS)
  • Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA).
  • The Eastern Africa Environmental Network (EAEN).