At the
beginning of the new millennium we live in a world of unprecedented population
number. Currently cities are populated about half of the world’s population, a
figure which is probably to increase to third by 2030. Currently, each person
should have equally 4.7 acres of land considering almost 22 billion acres of
productive land on earth.
However
each person requires 6.2 acres for a satisfactory standard of living. Following
this, earth will support only 3.5 billion people. But earth already has 6
billion populations! How can this be? Many poor countries have a small
appropriated productive land, for example Mozambican has 1.2 acres of land for
each one. They are malnourished and are disturbing their environment
to survive.
On the
contrary, Americans and Australians have an appropriated productive land of
24.7 acres per person. In fact, at the present time, there is sufficient food
to
feed the world’s current population. But, going on improper distribution that
resulting nearly 1 billion malnourished and often followed by disease. It is of
crucial importance for cities in developed countries to use resources more
efficiently and that certainly includes their food supply. Urban agriculture
can make a crucial contribution here.
Most of
the cities have designed with farmland for ensuring food security, timber,
metabolism of nature, and environmental protection. Even
bio-fertilizer derived from urban solid waste has use for deigned farmland
productivity. For example, megacity Shanghai significantly designed for farmland
on the edge of city for mostly rice and wheat cultivation for feeding the city.
Apart from that, almost 10,000 hectares on the outskirts of Shanghai are
intensely cultivated a great variety of vegetables for the city population.
Interestingly majority of the farmer depends on bio-fertilizer for their
agriculture which comes from urban solid waste management. On the other hand,
urban agriculture can help cities make the best possible use of organic waste
materials. Now city is sustainable in terms of urban agriculture, both by being
able to supply food and by offering livelihoods for city people.
Now we
have look over the country feature of Bangladesh. What is the scenario actually
we enjoyed in Dhaka city? Dhaka is now one of the world’s one of the fastest
growing mega cities. The metropolitan city of Dhaka has an area of 131 km2
with approximately of 20 million populations. In recent times, Dhaka has been
challenged by numerous difficulties like unplanned urbanization, extensive
urban poverty, growth of urban slums and squatters, food insecurity, solid
waste management and environmental degradation. For better understanding of
city sustainability, agriculture coverage, food security and appropriate solid
waste management is being considered crucially.
According
to Mohammad Nasir Uddin (2007), only 2.5% land is remaining for agricultural
purposes within the Dhaka cities. Presently, cultivable land is reducing alarmingly
due to increase population pressure and increasing demand for habitation in the
urban area for chairing better life. As a consequence agricultural land as well
as agricultural production has decreased in Dhaka city periodically. The peanut
amount of land considered for lucrative agriculture cultivation for aesthetic
value rather than considering food production. Presently, total food demand of
city dwellers supplied either from peri-urban area or further and further away
from the city. Even daily vegetable demand didn’t come from urban household
cultivation practices. However, new transport technologies made it possible to
bring its food in from further and further away which added extra cost on the
supplied food. That may not acceptable for all people especially for poor in
the urban area.
According to the Md. Rubayet Mortuza (2011)
estimation, about 80,220 hectares as is covered by concrete as a continuous
roof considering 65% of the area of Dhaka city. This space may have great
opportunity to extent green coverage through food production for feeding the
urban dwellers as well offering livelihoods for city people. If though,
insignificant number of city dwellers already started roof top gardening. But
it focuses only aesthetic value rather than food production. Hence, city
dwellers should be more concern to food production for their own.
According
to the JICA (2005), per capita waste generation rate of Dhaka city is found at
0.56 kg/capita/day. Presently, Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) facing serious
problem for dumping solid waste which resulting public health related problem
for urban dwellers. If this situation continues then Dhaka would soon become an
urban slum with the least livable conditions for the city dwellers. But there
is a great opportunity to manage the waste for transforming solid waste to
bio-fertilizer for both urban and nearby peri-urban agriculture production.
Hence, we
should take some initiatives to make sure urban agriculture for sustainable
city with considering solid waste management. We should make sure
bio-fertilizer for peri-urban and urban agriculture, increase roof gardening as
well as roof top gardening, enhancing farmer’s motivation for using
bio-fertilizer, strengthening Civil Society Organization’s (CSOs) consciousness
for urban agriculture as to ensure sustainable city, providing subsides by the
government on bio-fertilizer for producer and consumer, enhancing effective
coordination among Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Department of
Environment (DoE) and Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and other related departments
for ensuring urban and peri-urban agriculture through using solid waste
management. Eventually, decentralize the administrative activities of capital should
be ensured for reducing urban population pressure as to ensure the feeding of
acceptable urban population by their own food production and make sure the
sustainable city. If we implement the aforesaid issues then we will able to win
the race of sustainable city by promoting urban agriculture which is a solution
for our future.
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