Abstract
The agricultural sector in developing countries is one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change and water scarcity. Iran is one Middle Eastern country facing a growing water crisis. Rafsanjan county, located in the province of Kerman, is losing its pistachio orchards to water shortages and climate change. The modernisation of irrigation methods and transfer of water from other regions have been the main strategies taken by the governmental authorities. The lack of success of these strategies has led to the emergence of more participatory approaches in the transformation of the agricultural sector and local urban planning in Rafsanjan. This study analyses the actor network of transformation in the agricultural sector and the rise of high-tech urban agriculture, and aims to understand the role of technologies in supporting citizen participation in local urban planning. The research draws on the concept of Technology-Driven Transitions (TDT). The interactions among social and materials entities and the impact of technological novelties on the re-configuration of their relationships in the transition process were studied. The research comprised an exploratory case study, and data were gathered through observations, document study and in-depth interviews with farmers, planners, researchers, and policy makers in Rafsanjan. The results of the study show that governmental planning organizations and their implementation bodies, such as the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) and the 10-year plan for the development of greenhouses, were the most influential actants in the transition process. Their relationships with the other actants involved, such as the private sector, knowledge institutes and farmers, were re-configured by technological novelties. This re-configuration of relationships has led to strengthened participatory decision making in local urban planning in Rafsanjan.
Highlights
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, developing countries, especially those located in the Middle East, will face water scarcity in the coming years if they do not take immediate and drastic actions [1]
The results of the analysis show that the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) was in a favoured position and can be considered a focal actant in the transition of the agricultural sector in Rafsanjan
In contrast to the usual central planning and implementation processes in Iran’s urban planning system, which is designed to ensure the active participation of government-related actants only, the new 10-year plan allowed the participation of individuals and the private sector in the development of local urban plans for resolving agriculture-related issues in Rafsanjan
Summary
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, developing countries, especially those located in the Middle East, will face water scarcity in the coming years if they do not take immediate and drastic actions [1]. Local initiatives organized by the Vali-E-Asr University of Rafsanjan (VRU), science-based start-ups and private companies in the city have been shown to be more successful. They introduced indoor farming technologies, hydroponic cultivation systems and controlled-environment greenhouses, which are water efficient and weatherproof [12,13]. The university, science-based start-ups and private companies worked together to develop technologies and knowledge that were applied in Rafsanjan These technologies became popular among the farmers and as a result, hydroponic greenhouses and indoor farming practices have emerged inside and around the city [14,15]. By studying the interplay of material entities (i.e., technologies) and the transformation of planning practices, this paper will investigate the agency of technologies in mediating interactions in planning processes
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