Research & reports

· International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management · Global

This publication presents a table of contents for multiple papers addressing interdisciplinary aspects of climate change. Topics include the impacts of climate change on electricity generation and consumption, the role of cross-disciplinary models in the Irish housing sector, urban agriculture as a way to adapt modern cities, experiences in climate change policy-making, a climate stabilization fund, social learning on climate change among regional agents, costs and effectiveness of mitigation policies, campaign strategies by environmental NGOs, the role of sustainable buildings, quantifying vulnerability and adaptability of natural ecosystems, farming community concerns, local government risk assessment, approaches to resolving climate change, impacts on flood events, municipal solid waste management's impact on greenhouse gas emissions in Estonia, conducting interdisciplinary workshops, public opinion on climate change, and innovative multi-stakeholder approaches.

Sophie Graefe, Eva Schlecht, Andreas Buerkert · Outlook on Agriculture · Niger (Niamey)

Semi-structured interviews with 130 households in Niamey, Niger, characterized urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) and assessed resource use. The study found high use of livestock manure and indiscriminate use of nutrient-loaded wastewater for irrigation, leading to significant nutrient surpluses in UPA gardens. Initial calculations suggested large gaseous emissions of nitrogenous compounds and and leaching of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to groundwater.

WU Yun-fe · Shanxi Architecture · Global

This paper demonstrates the benefits of rooftop gardens for improving living conditions in response to urban environmental problems, detailing nine aspects. These benefits include mitigating the heat island effect, increasing urban green spaces, and purifying city air. The paper also offers recommendations for the development of rooftop gardens.

Nyuk Hien Wong, Yu Chen · · Singapore

In Singapore, there was a need to demonstrate the thermal benefits of rooftop gardens with tangible data as a potential measure to mitigate the urban heat island effect. This study conducted local measurements and calculations to demonstrate the thermal benefits of rooftop gardens in the tropics.

Pay Drechsel · CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) · Global

This paper discusses the global food crisis, which has caused skyrocketing food prices and riots in some countries. Underlying the food crisis is the deeper issue of the looming water crisis.

Tamara García–Armisen, Josué Prats, Yociel Marrero, Pierre Servais · Water Science & Technology · Cuba (Havana)

The Almendares River in Havana, Cuba, receives wastewater from over 200,000 inhabitants, resulting in very poor microbiological water quality downstream due to high faecal bacterial indicators (FBIs). This water is used for urban agriculture and recreation, despite not meeting microbiological standards. This study compared FBI removal in three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs): a conventional facility, a constructed wetland (CW), and a solar aquatic system (SAS). Natural systems (CW and SAS) showed approximately two log units higher FBI removal efficiency than the conventional plant. The large conventional WWTP was found to have a negative impact on the river's microbiological quality.

곽동화, 이정미 · 한국디지털건축인테리어학회 논문집 · Global

This study clarified the concept of sustainable community in contemporary architecture and urban design, examining various application modes such as rural ecovillages and urban demonstration projects. It summarized design elements for sustainable communities, including symbiosis with nature, permaculture, and resource-saving technology. Design methods identified included strategic planning, visioning, and community action planning.

Peng Yi-jun · Anhui nongye kexue · Global

This discussion examined the necessity and construction methods of rooftop gardens, along with the key considerations and challenges during their development. It also covered their developmental history, current status, and future prospects.

R. Machiridza, Emmanuel Manzungu · University of Zimbabwe Institutional Repository (University of Zimbabwe) · Zimbabwe (Harare)

Perceptions of urban agriculture in Harare, Zimbabwe, shifted from prohibition before 1980 due to environmental concerns to de facto government policy after independence due to increasing urban poverty. Land was initially allocated to co-operatives primarily for political support, creating tension between political patronage and environmental protection. Critics argue that authorities only accepted urban agriculture's reality two decades post-independence, driven by its potential for poverty reduction and economic development.

Larry Harrington, E. M. L. Humphreys, Annette Huber‐Lee, Sophie Nguyen-Khoa, Simón Cook, Gichuki, Francis N., Nancy L. Johnson, Claudia Ringler, K. Geheb, Jonathan Woolley · CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) · Global

A synthesis report summarizing activities and achievements of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) through the end of 2007, an initiative addressing global water scarcity and food security across nine benchmark river basins organized around five themes. Achievements in rainfed environments include advances in no-till conservation agriculture, "slash and mulch" replacing "slash and burn" in hillside farming, dryland water-harvesting systems, understanding of livelihood vulnerability and farmers' coping strategies, and distribution of drought-tolerant sorghum and wheat through participatory varietal selection and seed schemes. In irrigated and salt-affected environments, progress included development and testing of salt-tolerant rice germplasm, understanding of how wastewater can be used in irrigated peri-urban agriculture to grow safe, nutritious vegetables, and development of aerobic rice germplasm and management practices that use less water.

Erisman, Jan Willem, Sutton, Mark A., Galloway, James, Klimont, Zbigniew, Winiwarter, Wilfried · Nature Geoscience · Global

On 13 October 1908, Fritz Haber filed his patent on the synthesis of ammonia from its elements, for which he was later awarded the 1918 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This Nature Geoscience piece examines how, a century on, the world has been transformed by and become highly dependent on Haber-Bosch nitrogen.

Anna Eklund, Camilla Björk · · Nicaragua (Managua)

This diploma work, a case study in Managua, Nicaragua, explored how urban agriculture can improve the life situation of urban populations. The study found evidence that urban agriculture can be a key strategy for the urban poor, securing food access, improving public health and the environment, increasing income possibilities, and strengthening social belonging.

Hiroyuki Akagawa, Katsuyuki FUKUMI, Takayuki Kubota, Hideki Takebayashi, Masakazu Moriyama · Journal of Environmental Engineering (Transactions of AIJ) · Global

This study investigated the thermal environment and visitor behavior at a large rooftop garden on a commercial building during summer. Findings indicated that resting places in tree shade were "non-Hot" under high solar radiation, though SET* was higher than in shaded open spaces due to wind speeds around 1m/s. The rooftop garden featured well-shaded footpaths that provided "non-Hot" conditions for most of the afternoon. Tree shade was desirable on fine days, while open spaces were preferred on cloudy days. SET* was identified as the most appropriate index for evaluating the relationship between human behaviors and the thermal environment.

S Fjell · Rainwater and Urban Design · Global

This paper presents the concepts of "Cool Streets," "Green Streets," and "Water Wise Streets" to mitigate urban heat islands and create sustainable urban environments. Cool Streets reduce heat absorption, Green Streets promote improved air quality, stormwater management, and urban agriculture through vegetation. These multidisciplinary design approaches can achieve cost-effective Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) outcomes, and the concept has been implemented in Pentridge Village, Coburg, Victoria, Australia.

David W. Hughes, Daniel Eades, Kenneth L. Robinson, Carlos E. Carpio, Isengildina, Olga, Cheryl Brown, Hughes, David W., Eades, Daniel C., Robinson, Kenneth L., Carpio, Carlos E., Isengildina, Olga, Brown, Cheryl · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Global

This paper critiques the current literature on local food systems, which are promoted for local economic growth and reduced environmental impact, but often lack rigorous analysis from a regional science perspective. Using the Porter Diamond framework, it discusses how regional science can analyze local food systems as an economic development tool and assesses their potential environmental benefits.

Viola Devasirvatham, P. S. Cornish · International Journal of Water · Australia

Peri-urban horticulture in Australia requires irrigation for year-round vegetable production. Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) offers higher water use efficiency and crop yields, with the potential to reduce environmental risks from drainage and runoff. However, SDI has potential disadvantages, including poor germination or crop establishment and uneven wetting patterns. Research is needed to solve these problems and enable environmentally acceptable vegetable production.

Mariama Diop, Toumani Sène · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Senegal (Dakar)

This study evaluated the impact of community gardens on food security and sustainable agricultural practices in urban Dakar. Participant surveys indicated a significant shift towards more sustainable agricultural practices, with over 70% of participants adopting at least one new gardening technique. The study highlights the potential for community gardens to improve food security and foster environmental stewardship among urban dwellers.

F Ortega Sastriques, Rosa Orellana Gallego · Revista ciencias técnicas agropecuarias · Global

In many cities, the high price and limited availability of potable water necessitate considering irrigation with poor quality water, such as saline or alkaline waters, in urban agriculture. This paper considers aspects of irrigation with poor quality water, including risks like contamination.

F Ortega Sastriques, Rosa Orellana Gallego · · Global

Due to high prices and limited availability of drinking water in many cities, urban agriculture will require the use of alternative water sources. Groundwater and surface currents near cities are typically polluted, and this paper points out aspects to consider for safe irrigation using sewage water.

R. van Veenhuizen · Issue Lab (Candid) · Global

This publication defines urban agriculture as growing plants and raising animals for food within and around cities, along with related processing and marketing. It notes increased attention from development organizations and authorities in developing countries due to urban agriculture's role in poverty alleviation, food security, waste management, and greening. The work presents the "state of the art" of sustainable urban agriculture development, indicating progress since earlier major publications.

Adolphe Monkiédjé, Michael Spiteller, D. Fotio, Premasis Sukul · Journal of Environmental Quality · Cameroon (Yaounde)

This study evaluated the effect of different land uses on soil health indicators in peri-urban agricultural areas of Yaounde, Cameroon, by comparing five tilled sites with native forest land. While most cropped land showed higher levels of many soil health indicators, cultivation of crops like corn and sugarcane significantly impacted native soil quality. Specifically, phenol oxidase, microbial biomass C/organic C, and microbial biomass C/microbial biomass P were negatively affected, indicating negative management impacts on soil health.

Christine King · Proceedings of the 50th Annual Meeting of the ISSS - 2006, Sonoma, CA, USA · Global

This paper reports on research exploring how alternative agricultural approaches, such as Organic Agriculture, Biodynamics, Permaculture, CSAs, Farmers Markets, and Community Gardens, contribute to more resilient agri-ecological systems and communities. These systems are reviewed in relation to key concepts from ecological systems thinking, including ecological resilience, biodiversity, and holism. The paper discusses how these systems contribute to more sustainable and resilient communities through community development processes like relationship building, genuine participation, inclusiveness, resource mobilization, and creating space for knowledge sharing.

Robin Vande Zande · International Journal of Art & Design Education · Global

This article outlines important concepts for teaching young people about regeneration design and the future of our changing environment. Three regeneration principles adhered to by city planners, architects, and product designers—smart growth, sustainable development, and new urbanism—are highlighted as a common thread in restructuring efforts for cities and buildings to be aesthetically, economically, and ecologically healthier places for human and non-human life.

Carol Skinner · Urban Policy and Research · Australia

While favorable aspects of denser urban development are recognized in Australia and elsewhere, this study also highlights its negative impacts on a city's climate and hydrology. It summarizes the appealing aspects of denser cities and provides examples of adverse effects. Strategies to minimize these negative impacts are proposed, including the widespread use of rooftop gardens.

Karin Andersson · · Sweden

This study analyzed Ramsjo gard, the only Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm in Sweden, from a sustainability perspective using a mail survey of CSA members and a farm sustainability analysis. The survey found no statistically significant relationship between farmer-member contact and member learning, nor between member learning and changes in food purchasing habits. The sustainability analysis indicated that farmers perceived social and environmental aspects as more sustainable than economic and practical ones.