Urban Agricultural Activities Research Articles

A Computational Model for Water Quality Analysis and Assessment in Tanzania

Research on water quality has received much attention in both developing and developed countries. This is because of the fact that, the effects of poor quality of water are detrimental to human beings, animals and the environment. This study is about a computational model for water quality analysis and assessment in Tanzania. Water quality can be understood as the measure of suitability of water based on physical, chemical and biological attributes. Water quality analysis and assessment face several challenges due to population growth, urban land use, agricultural activities, and industrialization. Besides, attempts have been made by the scholars to address the challenges. However, the tools used like titrimetric, electrometric, pH-meter, thermometer and turbidity meter are yet to come up with effective solutions. Because of these, the researcher was compelled to adopt computational model which uses Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software in order to come up with effective solutions concerning water quality analysis and assessment. In this study therefore, the secondary data were collected from Lake Victoria littoral stations under the auspices of the Ministry of Water in Tanzania with the objective to get sufficient information concerning water quality analysis and assessment. Additionally, the collected data were coded in SAS software to analyse independent and dependent variables. SAS software therefore, was employed to obtain central tendency and dispersion as benchmarks in determining quality of water. Also, the Multivariate Linear Regression Model was run to obtain coefficients of estimation, 95% confident limits and p-value. Statistical findings from central tendency and dispersion indicate that, the mean for potential of Hydrogen (pH) was 8.165; for total suspended solids was 3.065 mg/l; chloride displayed a mean of 6.494 mg/l; calcium displayed a mean of 6.421 mg/l; iron had a mean of 0.188 mg/l; magnesium displayed a mean of 3.331 mg/l and sulphate had mean of 2.326 mg/l. Looking closely at all of the above-mentioned water quality parameters, they all align with a Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and World Health Organization (WHO) as shown on table 1. Findings from the Multivariate linear regression model shows that: First, iron had a p-value of 0.0153, magnesium 0.0347 and total hardness had a p-value of 0.001. All of these were statistically significant in the analysis and assessment of water quality as shown on table 2. The study concludes that, the water quality in Lake Victoria complies with both TBS and WHO standards as explained above.

Practising urban agriculture positively influences household organic waste management habits: A quantitative study from Florianópolis, Brazil.

Proper household organic waste management practices are crucial to limit the negative environmental and health impacts that can result from inappropriate municipal waste treatment. The environmental impacts of organic waste have previously been described in the literature, and the main treatment strategy for managing such waste relies on technical facilities such as biodigesters. However, such technologies require significant financial investments, which could hinder their application in areas with lower economic power. Among the several available organic waste treatment strategies, composting for urban agricultural (UA) use has become increasingly popular. Although the literature suggests that UA can contribute to organic waste management by encouraging self-treatment practices, investigations into how practising UA can influence household waste management behaviours have been limited thus far. To this end, we analyse the role of practising UA along with other demographic variables, such as age, gender, education, income and housing conditions, in influencing citizens' household organic waste management behaviours. The city of Florianópolis, Brazil was selected as a case study since that municipality recently passed a new organic waste regulation law that supports the use of organic compost in UA. We surveyed 206 individuals regarding their household organic waste management habits in four behavioural areas: (i) separation, (ii) use of public services, (iii) self-treatment and (iv) reduction. The dataset comprises 102 individuals who were actively engaged in UA activities and 104 who were not involved in UA to compare habits of the two groups. The results show that UA practitioners are more likely to separate and self-treat their organic waste and use the derived compost for gardening activities. The use of public facilities for organic waste management is influenced by people's housing conditions. Respondents who lived in an apartment with no access to a garden logically had a lower willingness than did those with garden access to self-treat the organic waste produced. On the other hand, the results show that UA practitioners compost their own organic waste regardless of their housing conditions. The results show a strong, positive influence of practising UA on self-composting and thereby highlight the role of such practices in sensitizing urban residents to waste management issues and supporting local organic waste management strategies. Although the debate over the role of UA in organic waste management is still open, we reveal that highlighting this role could support a shift towards a circular approach to organic waste treatment.

Remote Sensing and Geospatial Approaches for Studying the Environment Affected by Human Activities

In the past few decades, drastic human activities such as urban expansion, agricultural and pastoral activities, water conservancy construction, deforestation, mining, and tourism have significantly altered regional ecological environments [...]

How is urban agriculture practiced, institutionalized, implemented, and sustained? A literature review

Urban agriculture (UA) has emerged as a crucial strategy for ensuring sustainable food access in both developing and developed nations. However, the interplay between planning regulations and land availability significantly influences farmed land's scope and location, directly impacting UA activities' scale and intensity. The spatial mechanisms governing land use for UA stem from planning regulations, which may or may not align with food policies shaped by municipal actors—whose objectives often differ from those of civil actors. This review analyzes current urban agriculture practices in cities to explore how UA is practiced, institutionalized, implemented, and sustained, considering the influence of governance mechanisms and focusing on land-based forms of UA. By reviewing 51 peer-reviewed articles, consistent challenges impeding UA across various contexts were identified. Key factors include discord between civil and municipal actors, contextual elements affecting the enactment of supportive UA policies, and urban densification encroaching upon UA land. While these issues vary between developed and developing cities, they are primary drivers of informal or constrained UA practices and tenure insecurity. The review concludes that policies aimed at regulating UA to enhance food security should prioritize scaling up farming practices by ensuring access to larger plots with more secure tenure durations. Additionally, it emphasizes the need for flexible land-use and zoning ordinances that accommodate dual land uses, the establishment of UA protection zones to counter urban densification, and the active participation of civil actors in the process.

Spatial and seasonal assessment of surface water quality for domestic use in a semi-arid area of the Upper Kebir Sub-basin, NE Algeria

ABSTRACT The present study was conducted out in the Upper Kebir Sub-basin [North East (NE) Algeria] aiming to evaluate the status and spatial–seasonal variability of water quality for domestic purposes using hydrogeochemical parameters and water quality indices. Surface water samples were collected from selected 27 sites, in the period 2020–2021 during both the wet and dry seasons and were analysed for 22 parameters. The findings were compared with standards and the water quality indices were calculated. The analysis revealed that the basin was mainly polluted and showed significant seasonal and spatial variations in water quality, considerably influenced by climatic conditions (surface runoff) and human activities (urban sewage and agricultural activities). The results reveal significant spatio-temporal fluctuations and highlight areas likely to be affected by anthropogenic activities.

Sistem Pendukung Keputusan Cerdas untuk Pemilihan Jenis Tanaman Pertanian Kota

Urban farming activities have become increasingly popular to meet their food needs in urban areas. Jakarta as provinces with a population density of high, have a program of urban farming is developed by the farmers to urban Balkot Farm. This study aims to support system to develop a clever move the crop farm a town with the simple additive weighting (SAW). The methods used to obtain the highest related alternative plant assessed according to its parameters that affect the eligibility of land and a room with a variety of plants. The methodology used software development life cycle (SDLC) prototyping model consisting of five of the communication, quick plan, modeling quick design, construction of prototype deployment and delivery and feedback. Data collection method using interviews and the study of literature. Research results of a web application system that has an alternative menu, criteria, subcriteria, rating match and results. Smart decision support system based on black box testing and user acceptance testing successfully shows menus according to land criteria that will be used according to stakeholder needs.

URBAN AGRICULTURE ACTIVITIES SCENARIO IN RELATION TO FOOD SECURITY: DELVE INTO URBAN FARMING PRACTICE

Urban agriculture is an alternative source of food for the urban population to achieve food security. The Department of Agriculture (DOA) Malaysia under the Community Agricultural Development Program targeted 8,800 metric tonnes of urban agriculture products by the year 2025. To understand the current state, this research aims to investigate the urban agricultural activities scenario in Malaysia through the role and responsibilities carried out by the government agencies to facilitate urban farmers and increase agricultural productivity. A qualitative approach was adopted by means of a desktop study to review journals and reports, as well as content analysis on multilevel government policies, and acts related to urban agriculture. Also conducted were in-depth interviews with government agencies officials and farmers, and a fieldwork. The findings indicate that (1) all three-tier governments have specific roles and responsibilities in facilitating urban agriculture through policies, instruments, incentives, and monitoring that cascade down from the federal to the local level; and (2) the need to improve coordination between agencies to optimise resources and monitoring. In conclusion, coordination between related government agencies and farmers is the key enabler to ensure food security for the urban population.

Determining rainwater dissolved organic carbon to reveal atmospheric carbon deposition in China's karst city: Variations, origins, and deposition flux

A large amount of organic carbon (OC) in the atmosphere are transferred to the Earth's surface through dry (40%) and wet (60%) deposition. Therefore, wet deposition is an important physical pathway for the removal of atmospheric OC. Identifying the variations of DOC in wet deposition (rainwater) is essential for clarifying the earth-surface C balance. The present study detected the DOC content in 96 daily rainwater samples collected over an entire year in a karst city, with abundant rainfall in Southwest China. The DOC concentrations varied between 1.03–37.7 mg C L−1, while the VWM value stood at 2.76 mg C L−1, which is similar to the worldwide and Asian averages. The yearly DOC wet deposition flux was calculated as 2.88 g C m−2 yr−1. Both the VWM concentration and flux of rainwater DOC exhibit pronounced seasonal variations and regional differences, primarily controlled by precipitation and the external input of OC. The sources of rainwater DOC were multifaceted, including urban waste emission, agricultural activities, and fossil fuel combustion (especially coal combustion), while the contribution from natural sources was limited. Additionally, the C: N (2.08) ratio of rainwater is significantly lower than the Redfield ratio (6.625), indicating the importance of considering the impact of nutrient components in rainfall on the material cycling of surface water ecosystems. This work will benefit the knowledge of the present status of rainwater DOC and its deposition flux on the karst regional scale and further on a global scale, and contribute to a better understanding of the C geochemical cycle on the territorial system.

KESADARAN DIRI PETANI DALAM MENERAPKAN KONSEP URBAN FARMING PADA PERTANIAN DI PERKOTAAN DI KABUPATEN PURWOREJO

The objectives of this research were: 1) To determine the characteristics of farmers in applying the Urban Farming concept to urban agriculture in Purworejo Regency, 2) To determine the level of self-awareness of farmers in applying the Urban Farming concept to urban agriculture in Purworejo Regency, and 3) To determine What are the benefits of farmers in applying the Urban Farming concept to urban agriculture in Purworejo Regency? This research was descriptive and class interval. The number of samples in this research was 30 farmers. The results of this research showed: 1) The characteristics of farmers in applying the urban farming concept to agriculture in urban areas in Purworejo Regency was high school farmer education with a percentage of 54%. Farmer experience: less than 10 years, with a percentage of 77%. Age 50-60 years with a percentage of 40%. Land area less than 500 m was 74%. The majority of plants cultivated were ornamental plants, as much as 30%, 2) Farmers' self-awareness in implementing the urban farming concept is at the highest percentage, namely 94.74% that farmers know that food can be obtained from urban farming activities, 3) and the last, in implementing urban farming in urban areas in Purworejo Regency, farmers use verticulture, plant racks, tabulampots, house fences, house walls, hanging pots, hydroponics, and used bottles.

Social prescribing of urban agriculture: The importance of minimizing risks from soil contamination

The value of Green Social Prescribing (GSP) of Urban Agriculture (UA) is well proven, with many cities witnessing a rise in such activities. However, with burgeoning interest, there comes an increased need to understand the potential risks associated with these practices. City officials, from planners to policy makers, are keen to scale-up the concept, particularly through supporting a wide range of urban farms and community gardens to contribute within the built environment. Our opinion piece highlights potential barriers associated with a legacy of heavy metal enriched urban soils which underpin many UA activities in post-industrial regions, signposting the need for greater awareness of their use and management. In doing so, we provide a series of recommendations for increasing knowledge exchange around urban soils and risk in the context of GSP.

SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT WITH MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALING IN THE SUSTAINABLE FOOD YARD PROGRAM (CASE STUDY: SEMARANG CITY)

Population growth in Semarang City has an impact on the emergence of a food security issue and the high rate of unemployment. The Indonesian government issued a program named the Pekarangan Pangan Lestari or Sustainable Food Yard (SFY) that is expected to solve these problems through urban farming activities. However, the SFY is still experiencing many problems in the field that could threaten its sustainability. This study aims to analyze the sustainability status of the SFY program in Semarang City which consists of the Growth Stage and the Development Stage. The study is descriptive research with a survey method. The study was conducted on 130 sampling farmers in Semarang City that obtained the benefit of the program between 2020-2021. Sample determination used a proportional random sampling method. The data was collected by interview and analyzed using multidimensional scaling. Study results showed that the social, economic, and ecological dimensions of the Growth Stage are less sustainable than the Development Stage’s dimensions. The most sensitive attributes for the social dimension are farmer’s working hours and farmer’s independence. The most sensitive attributes for the economic dimension are product affordability and market demand. The most sensitive attributes for the ecological dimension are water availability and LEISA application. Improvement of sensitive attributes in those dimensions needs to be done to increase the sustainability status of all dimensions in the Growth Stage and the Development Stage of the SFY program in Semarang City.

A GIS-based assessment of flood impact on agricultural farm activities along river Dilimi, JOS north local government area of Plateau state

Flood is a natural disaster that impacts lives, food security, and ecosystems. Hence, this study sought to investigate the impact of urban flooding on agricultural farm activities along river Dilimi, Jos North LGA Plateau State Nigeria. The study identified urban agricultural farm activities along River Dilimi, and flood-prone areas along the river, and evaluated the economic impact of flood on farmer’s activities in the study area. The study utilized a satellite image of 2021 to digitize urban agricultural farmland along River Dlimi while, DEM, slope, and the landuse of the study area were utilized in an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) on ArcGIS version 10.4 to determine areas prone to flood in the study area. Concerning the economic impact of flooding, the study revealed that loss of farm was ranked 1st, hunger and starvation, loss of properties, and high incidence of poverty with a weighted mean score of 1.22, 1.21, and 1.20 ranked 2nd, 3rd, and 4th while loss of family members, displacement from a natural domain with a weighted mean score 1.19, 1.15 ranked 5th and 6th. Other impacts of floods include damaging roads (1.14), causing malaria (1.13), adding nutrients to the soil (1.11), and causing environmental pollution (1.09). loss of farmland, hunger, and starvation, loss of properties, high incidence of poverty were perceived as serious economic impacts of flood on farmers in the study area. In addition, the result further reveals that river Dilimi covers 1.5%, agricultural landuse covers 2.82%, and other landuse covers 95.66%.

Urban Farms for Neighborhood Improvement and Social Well-being of Urban Areas in Kandy


 
 
 In the latter half of the 20th century, as urban populations increased in the majority of emerging nations, the reliability of urban food production and delivery networks decreased. Urban hunger increased concurrently with the urban population, speeding up by in response, urban farms spread over a growing worldwide. However, later other purposes were added to it and urban farms were nurtured. Globally, urban farms are changing as a result of political, economic, environmental, and technical advancements. With time, urban farming activities are becoming a reason to improve the value and quality of life in terms of economic, social, and other elements. In this research, it was investigated how urban farming affects the social well-being and neighborhood improvements of urban areas. Furthermore, it focuses on urban farms' relative attachment to the neighborhood and confidence, their impact on agriculture literacy and youth development, and the economic and food crises in the urban areas. It was sought to understand community perceptions of how urban farms can benefit cities through a qualitative study conducted in two urban farms in Kandy. Interviews with visitors, laborers, and professionals related to urban farming revealed the pathways by which community members view farms as improving neighborhoods and social well-being. According to this study, six characteristics are highlighted and evaluated: neighborhood attachment, neighborhood confidence, youth development, food access, agricultural literacy, and economic development. Benefits stemmed from a primary changes urban farms made to neighborhood improvement: the creation of public project involvement, the physical improvement of degraded space, the production of local food, and the creation of new businesses. These changes led to multiple perceived benefits, including increased social connectedness, a transformed physical landscape, an improved neighborhood reputation, and employment opportunities. But there were some points that should be developed. especially in cases of food access and youth development. Urban farms with strong social aims may appear to contribute little to economic development if measured using traditional indicators of success such as job creation or fiscal impacts, but they provide numerous other benefits for community development.
 Keywords: Urban farms, Social connectedness, Physical improvement, Food access, Youth engagement, Economic development
 
 

Evaluation of Urban Farming System Sustainability in Central Province of Jakarta, Indonesia

The objective of the research was to evaluate the degree of sustainability of urban farming development in Petamburan, Central Jakarta. This research used a descriptive methodology approach using a qualitative approach (1) research preparation stage (2) collection stage (3) data analysis stage to check the degree of sustainability of urban agriculture using the Multi Dimension Scaling (MDS) approach. The study results indicate that urban agriculture in the special capital region of Jakarta is well known and is strongly supported by the residents of Petamburan Village, Tanah Abang District, Central Jakarta. Urban residents generally already have knowledge and insight about urban agriculture. The community support for urban agricultural activities uses their yards to cultivate vegetables, herbs, and other seasonal fruit crops. The development of urban farming in Petamburan, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta results from the analysis of four dimensioned model MDS is not sustainable. The analysis results of each dimension consist of the ecological dimension 14.55%, the economic dimension 13.85%, the social dimension 13.94%, and the technological dimension 13.43%. In the future, urban farming should pay attention to the supporting factors of the sustainability of agricultural development. The factors include the yard area, types, and variations of cultivated plants, the application of innovation and technology that urban communities can accept and develop, increased counselling and community development, and intensive and tax-free provision for yards with urban farming. The study show that index of urban agriculture sustainability in Petamburan Village, Tanah Abang District, Central Jakarta is very low, including the destructive and unsustainable category depending on the results of multidimensional analysis of both economic, ecological, social, and technological dimensions so that improvements are needed through counselling and motivation for urban agriculture actors.

Study of the frequencies of erythrocyte abnormalities as insitu biomarkers of genotoxic risk of chemicals in special fish stock in water supply reservoirs.

In three water-supply reservoirs in the catchment area of the Odra River (Czech Republic), a special fish stock was monitored for control of health to estimate the mutagenic effect of chemicals. The results contribute to obtaining initial information about the morphology of erythrocyte abnormalities classified in 21 categories in 16 fish species in reservoirs with abundant salmonids (the Morávka Reservoir) or with the prevalence of cyprinids (the Kružberk and Šance Reservoirs), not directly exposed to the adverse environmental effects such as industrial, urban, agricultural and intensive farming activities. The different intensities and prevalence of nuclear abnormalities (NA) and cytoplasmic abnormalities (CA) in fish from the same reservoir habitat show that to be able to obtain an objective view of the genotoxic risk of chemicals, it is necessary to respect the different requirements of the fish for the exploitation of the food available in the biotope and to subject all representatives of piscivorous, omnivorous and benthophagous fishes in the reservoir to cytogenetic analysis. The occurrence of certain categories of erythrocyte abnormalities in diseased fish draws attention to the need to know the state of health of the fish and to employ this knowledge to exclude parasitological, viral and other infectious agents. These results are the first report of the frequencies of erythrocyte abnormalities in native fish. They should serve to check which of the categories examined could be of use in assessing the genotoxic risk in other stagnant and running aquatic ecosystems affected by anthropogenic activities.

Tracing sulfate sources and transformations of surface water using multiple isotopes in a mining-rural-urban agglomeration area

Rapid urbanization and mining activities are exacerbating sulfate (SO42-) pollution in surface water, and the information on its sources and transformations is crucial for understanding the sulphur cycle in mining areas. In this study, the SO42- in the surface water of Huaibei mining area were monitored and the main sources of pollution and biogeochemical processes were identified using stable isotopes (δD, δ18O-H2O, δ34S-SO42- and δ18O-SO42-) and water chemistry. The results demonstrated the SO42- content in the Huihe River and Linhuan subsidence water area (SWA) is higher than that in other rivers and SWAs, which exceeded the environmental quality standard of surface water. The SO42- content of different rivers and SWAs showed seasonal differences, and the dry season was higher than the wet season. In addition, the SO42- in Tuohe River and Suihe River is primarily caused by urban sewage and agriculture activities, while in Zhonghu and Shuoxihu SWA is mainly contributed by natural evaporate dissolution. Notably, the input of SO42- in the Huihe River and Linhuan SWA caused by mining activities cannot be disregarded. The aerobic environment and isotopic fractionation of surface water indicate that sulfide oxidation is not the major cause of SO42- formation. This work has revealed the multiple sources and transformation mechanisms of SO42-, and provided a reference for the development of comprehensive management and effective remediation strategies of SO42- contamination in surface water around mining areas.

Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Melalui Kegiatan Urban farming dan Pengelolaan sampah di Kelurahan Gunung Samarinda Baru

Limited area for green open space is a common problem in densely populated areas in Indonesia. This also happened in Gunung Samarinda Baru Village; this area is one of the most densely populated areas and will continue to grow until now. These activities in the form of training and work practices are carried out through urban farming activities, namely hydroponic vegetable cultivation and compost processing from household waste. The activity started with a socialization approach regarding concepts and knowledge related to urban farming and compost management in the community. Furthermore, after they were familiar with the concept and urgency of urban farming and processing, we held training to give it directly to the community. It not only provides socialization and practice, but it also involves a monitoring process to determine the impact of the service activities that have been carried out. From the monitoring results, the community can take advantage of their green open space through vegetable growing activities using the hydroponic method. This is shown by the first harvest carried out with the community service team, as well as compost processing. This service activity is a good start for the community to maximize further the potential of green open spaces in their environment.

Promoting Economic Empowerment Through Effective Implementation and Linking Social Capital in Urban Agriculture Programs

Promoting Economic Empowerment Through Effective Implementation and Linking Social Capital in Urban Agriculture Programs

EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH TRAINING ON HYDROPONIC AGRICULTURE METHODS IN INCREASING FOOD INDEPENDENCE IN MERUYA UTARA,WEST JAKARTA

Changes in urban land use are increasing along with the growth and development of urban areas. Economic and population growth as well as community preferences as drivers of land use change are reflected in land use patterns in urban areas. Urban areas need policies to control changes in land use to realize family food independence and sustainable urban development. Urban agricultural practices that are currently developing follow zone characteristics and are in accordance with land availability. Urban agricultural activities are limited to vegetables, horticulture, ornamental plants and medicinal plants. This paper aims to describe the use of limited urban land for agriculture, women's empowerment and family food independence. The results of this activity are direct practice of the hydroponic method which can be carried out on limited land as well as ongoing guidance to women and housewives in North Meruya.

Increasing Community Economic Capability Through Optimizing Urban Farming Areas

This service program aims to optimize the urban farming area in Genitri Village, Pisang Candi Subdistrict, Malang City so that it can produce processed agricultural products with high marketability. Partners have problems regarding the unavailability of facilities and infrastructure to support urban farming activities. The service team was also present in the work program, including adding varieties of vegetable and fruit plants, building irrigation and sanitation channels, building public bathrooms, making processed agricultural products, and marketing products. The results of the service show that optimizing facilities and infrastructure can help make it easier for residents to cultivate urban farming areas to produce processed products with high selling value. The profits obtained from selling processed agricultural products are proven to provide high profits so that they can improve the economy of residents as MSMEs