TY - CHAP

T1 - Urban Agriculture

T2 - Challenges and Opportunities in Urban Water Management and Planning

AU - Wesselow, Maren

AU - Kifunda, Christina

AU - Auerbach, Raymond

AU - Siebenhüner, Bernd

PY - 2019/12/26

Y1 - 2019/12/26

N2 - Africa is urbanizing rapidly, and many unemployed or poor people are trying to produce food in urban and peri-urban areas. Many local authorities see this as high-risk food production, mainly because of the risk of use of contaminated water. However, with good planning, urban gardens can supply healthy food and exercise, while providing environmental amenity value and building community solidarity. In Dar es Salaam, many rivers are heavily polluted and gardeners are pumping clean water from springs, where they can afford to do so. Many use shallow wells, and sometimes pumps are later installed, or deep wells are developed for irrigation. Experiences from different African countries show that rainwater harvesting and water conservation can contribute to increasing plant available water, and methods which could be useful include swales, grass mulch, zaï pits, Fanya juu terraces and crescent embankments. Planners should see urban gardens as an opportunity for developing community green spaces rather than a threat to public health and orderly development.

AB - Africa is urbanizing rapidly, and many unemployed or poor people are trying to produce food in urban and peri-urban areas. Many local authorities see this as high-risk food production, mainly because of the risk of use of contaminated water. However, with good planning, urban gardens can supply healthy food and exercise, while providing environmental amenity value and building community solidarity. In Dar es Salaam, many rivers are heavily polluted and gardeners are pumping clean water from springs, where they can afford to do so. Many use shallow wells, and sometimes pumps are later installed, or deep wells are developed for irrigation. Experiences from different African countries show that rainwater harvesting and water conservation can contribute to increasing plant available water, and methods which could be useful include swales, grass mulch, zaï pits, Fanya juu terraces and crescent embankments. Planners should see urban gardens as an opportunity for developing community green spaces rather than a threat to public health and orderly development.

KW - Environmental planning

KW - Environmental Governance

U2 - 10.1079/9781786399601.0327

DO - 10.1079/9781786399601.0327

M3 - Contributions to collected editions/anthologies

SN - 978-1786399601

SP - 327

EP - 336

BT - Organic Food Systems. Meeting the Needs of Southern Africa

A2 - Auerbach, Raymond

PB - CABI International

ER -