Promotion of Urban Agriculture through Rooftop Farming

UN-HABITAT is collaborating with various member states to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 11 that emphasizes the importance of building inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities.

Since 2012, UN HABITAT Nepal has been implementing Water for Life (W4L) Initiative in coordination with Fukuoka City of Japan. Through W4L, UN Habitat is coordinating different programs with the objective of green and clean city such as rainwater harvesting, renovation of community ponds, land restoration, wastewater filtration system establishment and waste management.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many cities have been grappling with issues of food security. In response, the project “Promotion of Urban Agriculture through Rooftop Farming” has been designed to address the pressing problems of food availability, food security and waste management in urban areas. The project aims to utilize urban spaces for food production with a particular focus on rooftop farming.

In 2021-2022, UN-HABITAT collaborated with Madhapur Thimi to implement and promote urban farming practices. This initiative proved to be highly beneficial in terms of raising awareness among urban residents, providing technical support for establishing urban farms and facilitating market linkage for their produces. Additionally, a comprehensive guideline for urban farming was prepared as part of the project.

In 2023, the project focuses on preparing digital tools to support urban agriculture and its demonstration in Lalitpur Metropolitan City.  Activities include model farm development, Training of Trainers (TOT) on urban farming, technical training for urban farmers, market promotion and mobile application development for easy access to technical knowledge required for urban farming.

Objectives

1. To promote urban agriculture for ensuring access to healthy food and improving food security and among vulnerable urban residents.
2. Capacity building at household level for urban farming and sustainable waste management.
3. Raising awareness on the proper utilization of natural resources like rainwater and organic waste at community level.   

Proposed Activities

1. Training of Trainers (TOT) in Urban Farming: Enhancing the skill and knowledge of trainers in urban farming through municipal level training and orientation programs. These events will cover various dimensions of urban farming such as garden design, production, marketing and many more. Participants of this training will be local women, youth, persons with disabilities, agriculture technician, students and so on.
2. Community Training and Technical Support for Urban Farm Development: In collaboration with Women Development Division/ Women Entrepreneurship Facilitation Center (WEFC) and ward No. 15 office of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, training and necessary technical supports will be availed to the urban farmers. This initiative aims to assist the urban farmers in establishing and improving their urban gardens and ensuring that they have the necessary knowledge & guidance.
3. Promotion of Urban Farming and Marketing through Mobile Based Application (Urban Karesa):  Developing a user-friendly mobile based application to increase access to relevant information on urban farming. The Urban Kasera application will serve as a valuable resource for individuals and institutions interested in urban farming and contributing to green cities.
4. Technology Demonstration Center (Demo Farm) for Showcasing Urban Farming Technology: Developing a community level model farm to demonstrate the technologies related to urban farming including rainwater harvesting systems, composting, bio intensive gardening etc. The demo farm will serve as an educational center and inspire to adopt the good practices in Namuna Machindra Secondary School, a model school with accessible (disability friendly) infrastructures.

Expected Outcomes

1. The project aims to address the demand for skilled human resources for the development of urban farming by providing comprehensive training. By doing so, it will play a vital role in achieving food security in the urban areas.
2. The initiatives will create self-employment opportunities for numerous women, youth, persons with disabilities, empowering them for financial independence.
3. The rooftop farming project also facilities the transfer of skill and technology as well as establishing strong market linkages for locally produced organic foods by utilizing a mobile based application (urban karesa). This digital platform will enable farmers to reach a broader customer base and promote the growth of homegrown products.
4. Through the implementation of rainwater harvesting and household waste management technology, it promotes sustainable practices to achieve the aim of green cities. It also fosters an environmentally friendly built environment within the cities and human settlements.