Feeding Cities Through Urban and Peri-Urban Aquaculture

Abstract

It is expected that by 2030 more than 60 percent of the world population will live in cities. Consequently with the increase in population and infrastructure development, city limits would expand outward and engulf the surrounding smaller cities to form mega cities. Over the last few decades there has been a tremendous pressure on natural resources to sustain the burgeoning world population in terms of energy, water and particularly food, On the other hand natural resources are getting scarce and these are getting polluted rendering many of them non beneficial to human population. As cities expand, so do the food needs of urban families. Thus with the ever increasing demand to feed the world, there is urge to increase the productivity 542with limited resources. With the rapid urbanization the food production systems are evolving into highly precise, technology based and mechanized factory mode. This has become a necessity to meet the demands of the urban population which demand supply of all varieties of food consistently throughout the year. Urban food security requires a reliable yearround supply of nutritious and safe food. Many urban poor have long practised urban and pen-urban agriculture as a livelihood and also their survival strategy. Urban households involved in Urban and Peri-urban Aquaculture (UPA) are generally more food secure. Urban and Pen-urban food production helps increase the availability of fresh, healthy and affordable food in the vicinity. Food production along with other subsidiary activities like processing and marketing also contribute to income and employment generation for many poor urban households. The sector specifically provides an opportunity for social and economic integration of women and other groups of migrants. As water becomes increasingly scarce, UPA provides an ideal opportunity to productively use urban organic wastes and wastewater as well as collected rainwater. Wastewater fed aquaculture has been one of the oldest food production systems in urban and peri-urban areas using wastewater generated from the cities as one of the major inputs. Recirculatory aquaculture systems andaquaponicsare also gaining momentum. In peri-urban areas, fish is cultured in ponds, reservoirs, pen and cages and there is also a trend of integration of farming practices. Ornamental fish breeding and culture is another area which is also emerging as a lucrative business. In addition, aquaculture in urban settings also offers opportunities to fulfill our nostalgic desire to recormect with our food production sources, a new awareness emerging out of growing environmental concerns. However, the future of UPA will depend on appropriate techniques and practices as well as health risk reduction measures to ensure production of fish as health food while keeping the environment healthy.