Changing Urban Agriculture in the Dhaka Metropolitan Region: Perspective of Climate Resilience and Sustainability

Abstract

The multifunctionality of urban agriculture (UA) offers multidimensional benefits to urban areas and has received the attention of researchers and policymakers as well as urban residents. This study was intended to determine the status of urban agriculture in the DMDP region as well as to explore the prospects and challenges UA in the study area. A decreasing trend of UA was explored in the study area. The study explores the present agricultural practice, obstacles, and assistance needs of the farmers and also the future direction for establishing UA in the DMDP region based on a questionnaire survey of urban farmers and interviews with key informants. Profitability, financing, production costs, market access, availability of land, and freshwater for irrigation were rated the highest challenges by the farmers. Farmers also reported technical assistance needs to bust up their agricultural practices for more economic return which can be addressed by the Agricultural Extension authority. UA has been found the main means of living and the basis of household income for a large number of farm populations in the DMDP area. The study shows that about 58% of household income comes from agricultural activities. The remaining 42% comes from non-farm activities. This indicates that UA is likely a viable livelihood means for a large portion of the population in the DMDP region. This study followed a cross-sectional survey approach to assess the respondent farmers’ perception of climate change and its impact on agricultural practice in the DMDP region. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through questionnaires, key informant interviews, and visual observation of the author. Variation in climatic conditions was validated by calculating meteorological data collected from the BMD and the finding reveals that urban farmers in the DMDP region incorporate indigenous knowledge and techniques in observing the changing climate and coping with the impacts imposed by the climate change. The study strongly opines on the institutionalization of UA as a way toward the sustainability and resilience of urban landscapes through creating green spaces. The study also reveals that UA in the DMDP region has huge potential to enrich the green coverage by incorporating suitable landscape horticulture in the existing greeneries (such as parks, botanical gardens, lakesides, institutional playgrounds, etc.), developing roadside landscapes, endorsing pisciculture in the existing ponds, canals and rivers, encouraging homestead gardens and rooftop agriculture and by introducing afforestation and nursery initiatives in the fallow lands. This thesis argues for the institutionalization of UA to make it a substantial contributor to urban ecology and economy through government interventions. Some legal and institutional interventions have been suggested in this paper for the promotion of UA. In urban development master plans, incorporation of urban agricultural zones can be the best solution through enabling laws; promotion of urban markets for urban agricultural products; extension of advanced technology services along with financial support; subsidies for practicing appropriate urban farming systems; more initiatives in intensive research on the promotion and development of UA.