Making space for drones: the contested reregulation of airspace in Tanzania and Rwanda

Abstract

In this paper we examine how certain African countries have become testbeds for new forms of drone infrastructure and regulation, driven by the overlapping interests of governments, drone operators, and international development agencies. In particular we explore the factors that have led to the development of an advanced medical delivery network in Rwanda and contrast that with the closing down of airspace for drones in Tanzania. The paper makes a distinctive contribution to research on the ongoing constitution and enclosure of dronespace as a sphere of commercial and governmental activity.

Metadata

Authors/Creators:

Lockhart, A.
While, A. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3468-9489
Marvin, S. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5538-5102
Kovacic, M.
Odendaal, N.
Alexander, C.

© 2021 The Authors. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Keywords:

airspace regulation; drones; enclosure; infrastructure; Rwanda; Tanzania

Dates: