Research & reports

Guy M. Robinson, Zhiling Liu · AIMS environmental science · Australia

This paper examines the contradictions between greening and "ungreening" in Adelaide, South Australia, focusing on the city's Park Lands and urban sprawl. It argues that urban sprawl, including recent development on prime farmland, has been antithetical to biodiversity maintenance and greening principles, reducing sustainability capacity. The paper identifies problems such as conflict between biodiversity and protecting residents in bushfire risk areas, stemming from a relaxed attitude towards low-density expansion.

Marzieh Rezaei Qaleh, Hossein Medi, Mahdi Sheybani · Cumhuriyet Science Journal · Iran (Qazvin City)

This study investigated the role of urban agriculture in sustaining the urban environment, using Qazvin City, Iran, as a case study. Qazvin City, historically surrounded by traditional gardens that created a favorable urban environment, is now experiencing the destruction of these garden environments due to development processes, posing a risk of breaking the chain of environmental sustainability. The research, based on content analysis through observation and document study, proposed solutions considering environmental concerns, including preserving old irrigation methods, restoring native plant species, and focusing on existing water resources.

Amanda E. Nelson, Andrew A. Forbes · PLoS ONE · Global

This study sampled two plant-herbivore-parasitoid systems across 250 sites in a 360 km2 urban/agricultural landscape to investigate the impact of human development on trophic interactions. It found that herbivorous insect densities were decoupled from host tree densities in urban landcover types at several spatial scales. Furthermore, a parasitoid species was absent from all urban/suburban landcover in one system, even where its herbivore host was common, indicating that human land use patterns limit specialist insect distributions due to dispersal constraints.

H. C. Agada, E. A. Obienusi, Emma E. Ezenwaji · Journal of environment and earth science · Nigeria

This study evaluated urban forestry and housing patterns in Awka metropolis, Anambra State, Nigeria, over a ten-year period (2001-2010). Analysis of land use data using linear regression and correlation coefficients confirmed a significant correlation between housing patterns (urbanization) and the distribution of trees (forestry). The least square regression results indicated that the rate of forest displacement is a direct consequence of increasing structural development in the study area.

Yu Wang · · China (Xi'an City)

This study analyzed the dynamic changes in urban agricultural landscape (arable lands and garden plots) due to urbanization in Chang'an District, Xi'an City, China, using remote sensing, GIS, and FRAG-STAT techniques. Compared to 1999, arable land area decreased and aggregation declined by 2.45% in 2011, while garden plot area increased and aggregation rose by 10.44%. Improved urbanization levels decreased arable land area and increased fragmentation, but correlations with garden plot landscape indexes were insignificant.

Sylvestre Dasylva · Journal of environmental science & engineering · Senegal (Dakar)

This paper discusses rainwater management in the "niayes" zone of Dakar, Senegal. This area is characterized by agricultural depressions with typically high groundwater levels, but a recent drop has turned some into runoff-gathering sites, used for urban agriculture among other services. However, two acute problems are observed: hydrological drying due to insufficient rainwater refill and urbanization of these bottom-lands. Furthermore, decreasing pluviometry exacerbates nuisances like floods and malaria.

Christophe Antonio‐Nkondjio, Billy Tene‐Fossog, Cyrille Ndo, Benjamin Menze Djantio, Serge Zebaze Togouet, Parfait Awono‐Ambene, Carlo Costantini, Charles S. Wondji, Hilary Ranson · Malaria Journal · Cameroon

This study assessed the influence of urban pollution and agriculture on malaria vector distribution and insecticide susceptibility in Douala and Yaoundé, Cameroon, from October 2009 to December 2010. Researchers sampled 1,546 anopheline larval breeding sites and analyzed water parameters. Findings showed mosquitoes from cultivated urban areas exhibited the highest insecticide resistance levels, with urban agriculture, rather than pollution, suggested as the major factor driving resistance.

Barbara Matthys, Benjamin G. Koudou, Eliézer K. N’Goran, Penelope Vounatsou, Laura Gosoniu, Moussa Koné, G. Gissé, Jürg Utzinger · Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology · Côte d'Ivoire (Abidjan)

Two surveys were conducted in market gardens of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, during the rainy and dry seasons to identify mosquito breeding habitats. The study found that urban agriculture areas may lead to higher densities of mosquito breeding sites, with "agricultural trenches" between seedbeds being the most likely sites to be positive for Anopheles larvae and mosquito pupae.

Mattia Celio, Christopher A. Scott, Mark Giordano · Geographical Journal · India (Hyderabad)

A study in Hyderabad, India, examined urban water capture and its impacts on pre-existing claims, particularly agriculture. Urban water appropriation often leads to conflict with existing water uses. The findings indicate that the magnitude and direction of impacts from urban water transfer on agriculture vary spatially and temporally, depending on location-specific rainfall patterns, existing water infrastructure and institutions, and farmers' adaptive capacities, including recourse to groundwater.

Abegunde A. A, Emmanuel Olufemi Omisore, O. F. Oluodo, D O Olaleye · African Journal of Agricultural Research · Nigeria (Lagos)

A study in the Eti-Osa local government area of Lagos, Nigeria, investigated the socio-spatial effects of urban horticultural gardens. Of 75 identified gardens, 63 managers were interviewed, revealing that 79.4% of gardens were profit-oriented. Gardens had inadequate setbacks (mean 1.45 m) from roads, leading to off-street parking and traffic congestion. Only 20% of horticulturists aimed to improve urban aesthetics, indicating a need for urban planners to educate them to prioritize urban aesthetics over economic gain.

Justin Stoler, John R. Weeks, Arthur Getis, Allan G. Hill · American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · Ghana (Accra)

A 2003 study in Accra, Ghana, surveyed 3,164 women to examine the relationship between self-reported malaria and proximity to urban agriculture (UA). The odds of self-reported malaria were significantly higher for women living within 1 km of UA compared to those living near an irrigation source, with the association disappearing beyond this distance. Malaria prevalence was often elevated in communities within 1 km of UA, even with more favorable socioeconomic characteristics.

Eveline Klinkenberg, Philip J. McCall, Michael D. Wilson, Felix P. Amerasinghe, Martin J. Donnelly · Malaria Journal · Ghana

This study investigated the impact of urban agriculture on malaria transmission risk in Accra, Ghana, through larval and adult mosquito surveys. It found that Anopheles spp. and Culex quinquefasciatus outdoor biting rates were three and four times higher, respectively, in areas around agricultural sites compared to areas far from agriculture. The annual Entomological Inoculation Rate (EIR) was also higher in agricultural areas (19.2) than non-agricultural areas (6.6), suggesting that urban agricultural areas may increase malaria transmission risk by providing resting sites for adult mosquitoes.

M. B. David · African Affairs · Kenya

This study on urban agriculture in the Kenyan town of Nakuru illustrates health and environmental problems associated with keeping livestock in urban areas, the small size of plots cultivated, and the dependence of urban households on rural sources of food. These findings were observed in the context of economic hardships occasioned by structural adjustment programmes since the 1980s.

Barbara Matthys, Penelope Vounatsou, Giovanna Raso, Andres B. Tschannen, EMMANUEL GBEDE BECKET, Laura Gosoniu, Guéladio Cissé, Marcel Tanner, ELIÉZER K. N’GORAN, Jürg Utzinger · American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · Côte d'Ivoire

This study investigated malaria risk factors in urban farming communities in a medium-sized town in Côte d'Ivoire, conducting two cross-sectional surveys among 112 households across six agricultural zones. The overall prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum was 32.1%. Findings indicate that specific crop systems and agricultural practices may increase the risk of malaria in urban settings of tropical Africa.

Brian Halweil · · Global

This book points out that the long-distance food system consumes staggering amounts of fuel, generates greenhouse gases, and compromises food security. Since 1961, the tonnage of food shipped between nations has grown fourfold, with food in the United States typically traveling 1,500 to 2,500 miles from farm to plate. While this system often runs roughshod over local cuisines, varieties, and agriculture, a local-foods movement is beginning to emerge globally.

James M. Wolf, M S van Wijk, X Cheng, Yuanhao Hu, C.A. van Diepen, A.W. Jongbloed, H van Keulen, C H Lu, R.P. Roetter · Environment and Urbanization · China (Beijing)

This paper reviews agricultural production trends in Beijing Municipality and their impact on water quality. Rapid urbanization and agricultural intensification have led to concerns regarding water resource quantity and quality. The agricultural sector, while supplying food, is a major water user and has contributed to significant water supply-demand gaps and high levels of water pollution, particularly from intensive crop, vegetable, and livestock production.

Nicholas P. Dunning, Timothy Beach, David J. Rue · Ancient Mesoamerica · Guatemala

This study of the Petexbatun region, Guatemala, found that ancient Maya peoples in Preclassic times cleared large areas of upland tropical forest for agriculture, leading to significant soil erosion. During the Late Classic period, population expanded, forest clearance resumed, and upland agriculture, including terracing, was practiced, which significantly checked soil erosion. The study suggests considerable variation in urban agriculture among the region's major centers.

M. R. S. Mlozi · Development Southern Africa · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)

This article discusses urban agriculture in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, examining its role in helping residents cope with the country's economic crisis. The study also associates urban agriculture with environmental degradation in the city. Factors encouraging urban agriculture at four levels are identified, and concerted efforts at all four levels are suggested to mitigate further environmental degradation.