The Farm in the city

• Planning for urban agriculture can make cities sustainable, achieve food security

Repercussions of climate change

• PREMATURE summer: The soaring temperatures adversely affect health, cause a dip in agricultural production, and also dry up rivers.
• Cities are facing the heat largely on account of ill-conceived urbanization:
  • The urban heat island effect.
• India is rapidly urbanising and is estimated to host 50 percent of its population in cities by 2050.
• Our cities already suffer from a number of issues:
  • High population density,
  • Unaffordable housing,
  • Improper waste disposal,
  • Water scarcity most of the year,
  • Flooding during the rains,
  • Pollution and attendant illnesses,
  • Food and nutritional insecurity and
  • Urban poverty, among others.
• Opportune moment : To engage with urban land-use planning (ULP), especially urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA), as one of the essential elements of sustainable urbanisation.

Role of green infrastructure (GI)

• Combating pollution
• Climate mitigation and adaptation
• Health and recreational benefits.
• The Centre's 2015 AMRUT programme: included green spaces and parks as a thrust area.

What is left out in urban planning?

• Agriculture - still seen as a predominantly rural practice.
• Food and Agricultural Organisation's(FAO): recognises Urban Agriculture as a significant contributor to:
  • Food security
  • Livelihood generation
  • Poverty alleviation
  • Urban resilience and sustainability.
• Urban areas already house at least 55 per cent of the world's population and consume 80 per cent of the food produced globally.
  • It underlined UPA as key to achieving sustainable food systems.

Prelims Takeaway

• FAO
• Green Infrastructure
• UPA
• AMRUT
• Urban Heat Island Effect